as in aggravated
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in encouraged
to rouse to strong feeling or action
his teasing finally provoked her to anger bees generally will not sting unless they are provoked
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in triggered
to bring (something volatile or intense) into being
rankings that are sure to provoke an argument among film buffs
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of provoked
José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 4 Mar. 2026
Union officials said the teen provoked the clash.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
We certainly have been provoked on this.
—ABC News, 1 Mar. 2026
The success of the Greenwood district provoked resentment among the surrounding white communities, leading to the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, according to the Museum of Tulsa History website.
—Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Dort was ejected for the foul that provoked Jokic, while Jokic and Thunder center Jaylin Williams received matching technical fouls.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2026
That sense of both protectiveness and distancing will be familiar to most readers who have been sixteen; the difference, though, is that the parental figure that provoked these conflicting impulses was almost certainly not the founder of a fascist organization.
—Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
The experts agree that, unless provoked, most of the damage that Godzilla would cause would be incidental.
—Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 27 Feb. 2026
During his opening statement, Deputy Public Defender Denis Lainez conceded that his client committed the shootings, but said he was provoked by what the attorney described as a dedicated campaign by Bushey’s sister to oust him from the home.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
Verb
And his knockout debut men’s show in June, provoked roaring applause from attendees for its earnest joyfulness.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 4 Mar. 2026
Union officials said the teen provoked the clash.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 4 Mar. 2026
We certainly have been provoked on this.
—ABC News, 1 Mar. 2026
The success of the Greenwood district provoked resentment among the surrounding white communities, leading to the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, according to the Museum of Tulsa History website.
—Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026
Dort was ejected for the foul that provoked Jokic, while Jokic and Thunder center Jaylin Williams received matching technical fouls.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2026
That sense of both protectiveness and distancing will be familiar to most readers who have been sixteen; the difference, though, is that the parental figure that provoked these conflicting impulses was almost certainly not the founder of a fascist organization.
—Literary Hub, 27 Feb. 2026
The experts agree that, unless provoked, most of the damage that Godzilla would cause would be incidental.
—Sergio Pereira, Space.com, 27 Feb. 2026
During his opening statement, Deputy Public Defender Denis Lainez conceded that his client committed the shootings, but said he was provoked by what the attorney described as a dedicated campaign by Bushey’s sister to oust him from the home.
—City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provoked
Adjective
-
Dodd is facing charges of first-degree murder, home invasion, armed violence, residential burglary and aggravated stalking, according to Oswego police.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Rodriguez was convicted in 2020 of stalking and aggravated assault.—
Ronald J. Hansen,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Slusser alleged Kress is the one who encouraged her to live in that apartment.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Mar. 2026
-
While Red States are generally supportive of immigration crackdowns, Blue States enacted sanctuary laws that encouraged undocumented migrants to concentrate in their cities despite being a clear violation of the Constitution.—
Doug McIntyre,
Oc Register,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Europe and Asian economies could be hit by a prolonged surge in natural gas prices triggered by the ongoing war in the Middle East, analysts have warned.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
-
If no candidate reaches that threshold, a runoff election will be triggered between the top two vote getters in May.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Some employees on Tuesday also felt frustrated that some observers are portraying Anthropic as heroic despite previous years of work with the Pentagon and major defense contractor Palantir with little scrutiny.—
Hadas Gold,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
-
The switch surprised and frustrated residents who stopped to vote during their work dayor between errands only to be redirected elsewhere — an outcome predicted by county officials and voting rights activists who feared the GOP’s arrangement would disenfranchise voters.—
Tracey McManus,
Dallas Morning News,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
During this period, if not stimulated by visual input, the brain doesn’t develop face perception capabilities, even if the individual can see later in life.—
Sachin Rawat,
Big Think,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Upon entering any art gallery or museum, visitors are consenting to having their imaginations stimulated with new concepts, designs and suggestions.—
Michael James Rocha,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The family soon moved to the Southern California city of El Monte, where Joe McDonald was raised.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Gardner, who was born and raised in Detroit, totaled four points, five rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes against his hometown team.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
A number of easy and delicious pairings worked their way into our after-school rotation over the years, from peanut-butter fold-overs to yogurt stirred together with chocolate chips.—
Betsy Cribb Watson,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The charms, some of which quickly sold out while others are not yet available for purchase, stirred a flurry of excitement online.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The decision incited backlash from right-wing activist Laura Loomer, who called for Prasad’s ouster.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Chisholm incited criticism multiple times during the 2025 season while playing for the Yankees.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Provoked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provoked. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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