provoked 1 of 2

adjective

as in aggravated

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provoked

2 of 2

verb

past tense of provoke
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

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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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of provoked
Verb
Taiwan’s attendance at summits has provoked China's ire before, with the issue resulting in partner countries being barred from attending last year’s meeting in Solomon Islands. — ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 In the second half of 2025, LinkedIn removed 477,911 comments that provoked harassment or abuse and 80,806 comments that used adult language or imagery using its harmful message detector, according to LinkedIn’s transparency report. — Sarah Glodek, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026 The August 2026 federal indictment of Heidi Beirich, a longtime researcher who studies political violence and the American far right, has provoked strong reactions within the professional community of extremism scholars. — Arie Perliger, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2026 Surveillance footage obtained by KRIS-TV showed Kelly-McKee in her storage unit with Chelsea as hundreds of bees, which may have been provoked by the dog, came out of a nearby tree. — Adam England, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026 The comment at a rally last Sunday titillated, provoked and enraged different audiences simultaneously, all but guaranteeing saturation news coverage and even more attention. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 19 Aug. 2026 The incidents had provoked international scrutiny of the country’s assault on Gaza. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 19 Aug. 2026 There is no doubt today that China’s control of rare earths represents a powerful weapon—one that has provoked worldwide alarm and a race to secure alternatives. — Gloria Xiong, Foreign Affairs, 18 Aug. 2026 The sources added that the relationship breakdown also provoked serious concerns about the wellbeing of the senior colleague. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 13 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provoked
  1. aggravated
  2. encouraged
  3. triggered
  4. frustrated
  5. stimulated
  6. raised
  7. tortured
  8. stirred
Adjective
  • On Monday, Hamby was charged with murder, aggravated assault, terroristic threats and acts, and possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a felony, jail records show.
    — Irene Wright, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Hamby was booked Monday on charges of murder, aggravated assault, terroristic threats and acts, and possession of a firearm or knife during the commission of a felony.
    — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of aggravated
Verb
  • More than a decade ago, the two researchers were introduced by their mutual boss, the chancellor at UCSF, who encouraged them to collaborate.
    — Pien Huang, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
  • As Brown ramped back up this summer, he and the team were encouraged by his progress.
    — Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of encouraged
Verb
  • While spoken language might benefit us in myriad ways, no single activity requires it, let alone explains what triggered its ongoing evolution over tens to hundreds of thousands of years.
    — Mike McRae September 02, New Atlas, 3 Sep. 2026
  • His remarks triggered fierce criticism and prompted Berlin artistic director Tricia Tuttle to publicly defend artists’ right to decide whether or not to speak on political issues.
    — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of triggered
Adjective
  • No ball-knower would say the key to the Seahawks’ success was subtracting Metcalf, who grew frustrated with his role under one-and-done offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb in the season before Sam Darnold arrived.
    — Jonathan Jones, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The White House introduced sweeping tariffs that have at times frustrated Americans, who will head to the polls in November's midterm elections.
    — Jay Stahl, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of frustrated
Verb
  • Throughout Milo's healing, Haarburger sought ways to keep him entertained and mentally stimulated.
    — Kelsey Legg, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • So the majority of product [is] stimulated by patient interaction, and the hero product has to be the Polish.
    — Rachel Burchfield, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of stimulated
Verb
  • Lomonaco and the restaurant’s owners formed Windows of Hope, a charitable foundation that raised more than $22 million to pay for healthcare and tuition costs for the children of the victims.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Home built in phases A larger house came after the cabin, where Roebbelen and his wife, Kimberly, raised their three children.
    — David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of raised
Adjective
  • But this leads to secrets revealed, lies told and tortured confrontations, not just with others but most intensely with himself.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Wuthering Heights In Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte presents a world of conflicts, frictions between families, passions, and attachments—especially those of Catherine Earnshaw and the tortured Heathcliff—across an untamed landscape.
    — Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of tortured
Verb
  • That’s as economic hardship and long lines at gas stations have already stirred some fresh protests, though not at the massive scale that was seen in January.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Nicolas Cage will take his vodka martini shaken, not stirred.
    — Marina Watts, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of stirred

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Cite this Entry

“Provoked.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provoked. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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