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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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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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
That’s not to say that examining the forces that provoked Tuesday’s rout is a waste of time. — Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026 Not to be all nostalgic, but there is a long history of the Steppenwolf audience showing up precisely to be provoked, made to think, or satirized themselves. — Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026 Pyongyang has denied responsibility for the explosions and warned of retaliation if provoked. — Arkansas Online, 31 Oct. 2026 Venus began her retrograde deep dive in early October, provoked by a sense that something was deeply wrong. — Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026 The tragedy provoked widespread public grief and anger and was widely seen as the first major test for the Hong Kong government since Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law in 2020 in response to pro-democracy protests. — Mithil Aggarwal, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2026 But Pyongyang has denied responsibility for the explosions and warned of retaliation if provoked. — ABC News, 28 Oct. 2026 French’s post provoked social media responses calling for violence against Indians and desecrating Hindu temples. — Arun Brahmbhatt, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2026 The Ferrari Luce provoked its own backlash and a storm of online jokes. — Matthew Lynn, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provoked
  1. aggravated
  2. encouraged
  3. triggered
  4. frustrated
  5. stimulated
  6. raised
  7. tortured
  8. stirred
Adjective
  • The Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Office charged him in July 2025 with first-degree murder and attempted aggravated robbery.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Thompson is being held in Escambia County awaiting extradition to Georgia on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault.
    — Dan Raby, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of aggravated
Verb
  • Her aunt, a breast cancer survivor, was the first person who encouraged her to get that initial lump checked.
    — Emily Cegielski, Flow Space, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Management identified improving full-price sales, particularly in North America, as a priority and said it was encouraged by the initial response to recent product launches.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of encouraged
Verb
  • The kitchen fire triggered water damage from the restaurant’s sprinkler system that left the place in need of top-to-bottom renovations that went on much longer than expected.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 2 Nov. 2026
  • However, surging profits have not triggered a wave of new refinery construction.
    — , CNBC, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of triggered
Adjective
  • Plenty of others, namely frustrated fans, are pondering the other stuff for him.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Middlewood, who is based in Kansas, does not expect frustrated rural voters to shift to the Democratic Party, given how long the state has been a Republican stronghold.
    — Sarah Raza, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026
Definition of frustrated
Verb
  • The researchers found that adjusting the concentration of these antigens on the viral structure changed how effectively the vaccine stimulated an immune response.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Unlike collagen, which is more abundant in the skin and can be stimulated as its levels decline with age, elastin is harder to replenish.
    — Amy Francombe, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of stimulated
Verb
  • Cooks in the Farm-to-Fork capital can choose between organic turkeys, heritage breeds with more dark meat and complex flavors, and poultry raised using regenerative agricultural practices which protect soil health.
    — Anne Ewbank, Sacbee.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Whereas Paintstroke evokes a wet stripe of pigment, Chalk Line juxtaposes raised cross-hatchings against a neutral ground.
    — Livia Caligor, Architectural Digest, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of raised
Adjective
  • Florida has had a tortured relationship with this Biden-era money, originally intended to bolster states’ public charging networks for electric cars.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Our tortured contemporary education is a logical outgrowth of its origin story.
    — Kamau Bobb October 21, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of tortured
Verb
  • The dip can also be mixed with tuna or chicken, used as a burger topping or stirred into egg yolks for a quick egg salad.
    — Beret Leone, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The combination of slow growth, high inflation, profligate spending, and soaring debt has stirred a revolt in financial markets.
    — Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Oct. 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 Nov. 2026.

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