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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
One study, led by Mark Robinson of Intuitive Machines, describes the crater itself and the enormous amount of material thrown across the lunar surface due to the impact that provoked the feature. — Samantha Mathewson, Space.com, 17 Sep. 2026 Despite their intimidating nature, these wasps are not aggressive toward humans unless provoked. — Sean Donnelly, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026 In the second half, the crowd were provoked a few times by players choosing conservative options with the ball in midfield. — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026 The first festival screenings finally took place at the Berlinale in 2020, where a spinoff feature and six-hour TV series provoked outrage at the height of the #MeToo movement. — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2026 Tran’s dramatic reveal of the book’s true author provoked much controversy at the time. — Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provoked
  1. aggravated
  2. encouraged
  3. triggered
  4. frustrated
  5. stimulated
  6. raised
  7. tortured
  8. stirred
Adjective
  • The driver of the pickup truck, 21-year-old Jesse David Lovato, has since been arrested and is facing charges of manslaughter and aggravated assault, according to the outlets.
    — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of aggravated
Verb
  • Khoory said Aldar encouraged brands to connect with local architects to work on facades to communicate the emphasis on art and place-making.
    — Ritu Upadhyay, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Travelers to and from San Francisco International Airport are being encouraged to use Interstate 280 and Interstate 380, avoiding Highway 101 north of the airport.
    — Tim Fang, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of encouraged
Verb
  • As if triggered by this thought, the door buzzed itself open, startling the pigeons from wire to wing, a grand scattering.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Other actions have triggered further suspicions, including that, like CBS News, changes would be afoot for CNN, including appointing Weiss to oversee that network as well.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of triggered
Adjective
  • From this perspective, the fertility slump is a record of frustrated longing.
    — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Such moments are the byproduct of a frustrated team and a frustrated fanbase, both trying to help each other and both unable to get out of each other’s way Sunday.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 21 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
  • From that restaurant Cardoso could look out the window and see sloping hills and Lucas’ Wagyu cows raised there on the farm.
    — Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Neighbors cite traffic risks in the area Neighbors said ongoing construction in the area had created a dangerous traffic pattern and raised concerns about children walking to and from school.
    — Caroline Foreback, CBS News, 17 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
  • Posing for the sports trading app Novig, Sweeney has stirred a debate regarding oversexualization in the world of advertising.
    — Theara Coleman, TheWeek, 16 Sep. 2026
  • In August, the Los Angeles Times reported that a poll showing Bass leading Raman by nearly 12 percentage points was actually fake in an incident that stirred headlines about the race.
    — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 15 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 23 Sep. 2026.

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