provoke

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.

England will commit numerous players to this initial build-up phase, including striker Harry Kane, who drops into holding midfield positions to provoke the opposition into leaving their half.

From BBC • Jun. 24, 2026

Recognizing that certain content creators want to provoke rather than reflect reality creates useful cognitive distance.

From Science Daily • Jun. 16, 2026

Britain's media watchdog Ofcom said it had written to online service providers about "the increased risk of their platforms being used to stir up hatred, provoke violence and commit other offences under UK law".

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

Millions of Americans lose their jobs every year because of corporate decisions, and most of them don’t provoke it by criticizing their employer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026

His glad-handing, varsity chumminess was totally alien and therefore suspect; then, too, he studied the classics, which are certainly harmless enough but which still provoke the raised eyebrow in some circles.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt