provocative

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Daniel Rood gives short shrift to such “historically amnesiac tourism”; with “In the Shadow of the Great House,” he provides a provocative history of the plantation, one that spans continents and centuries.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

There’s a difference between making something provocative and outright, intentional provocation.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

Heavily metaphoric and less intimately provocative than the French writer-director’s previous movies, “Alpha” is a domestic drama that may not necessarily be set at the end of the world.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

The rule states that there should be no behaviour that is "improper, offensive, violent, threatening, abusive, indecent, insulting or provocative".

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2026

I’ll never convince anyone of anything if I'm trying to be provocative.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins