PROVOKES Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

provokes

verb

present tense third-person singular of provoke

as in encourages

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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in raises

to bring (something volatile or intense) into being rankings that are sure to provoke an argument among film buffs

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 provokes At work, Paige (Elle Chapman) punches a coworker who provokes her with truly unkind remarks about her father's death. —

Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 21 Mar. 2026 What is beauty if not precisely the property that provokes us to abandon all pretense of analytic remove in our desperation to draw closer? —

Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 7 Mar. 2026 The aroma of coffee brewing reliably provokes desire. —

Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026 Deadline can reveal the first trailer for the radical love story revolving around Suzanne and undocumented migrant Osmane, whose relationship provokes a wave of anger and indignation all around them, forcing them to resist. —

Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 10 Feb. 2026 Fogel is always looking for the visual angle that provokes an emotional response. —

Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2026 This ends up being just one of Aemond’s defining moments, which further provokes war. —

Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 19 Jan. 2026 This brings us to sovereignty, and why foreign involvement provokes less outrage than outsiders might expect. —

Helena Carpio, Time, 16 Jan. 2026 The result is a film that provokes thought more than feeling, one that invites discussion, while denying audiences the emotional dimension that might have driven home its relevance. —

Murtada Elfadl, Variety, 3 Jan. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for provokes

Verb

The law also prohibits the development of AI that encourages a person to commit suicide, harm themselves, harm another person or engage in criminal activity.

— SEUNG MIN KIM, Arkansas Online, 21 Mar. 2026
Aside from no-single-use plastics in rooms and the touches mentioned previously, 1 Hotels’ universal 1 Less Thing initiative encourages guests to leave an item of clothing behind that will be donated to a local charity.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Mar. 2026