provoke

Gulf officials and analysts warn the tightening vise could instead provoke more Iranian retaliation.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 7, 2026

But his willingness to provoke billionaires and executives has created headaches for City Hall.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Although she says she "wasn't there for social media" and didn't touch or provoke the shark, she admits she was too close to the animals.

From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026

"It is defended precisely when those opinions disturb or provoke disagreement, provided that they form part of democratic debate, as is the case across all of our media outlets."

From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026

That was the period when divine good humor and the hidden forces of human nature acted with impunity to provoke a state of emergency and upheaval in the laws of physics and logic.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

Truly creative and inspiring art undermines that goal, because it provokes responses like empathy and critical thinking in audiences — which gets in the way of authoritarian domination.

From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026

But fancy chicken, even if it is expensive to prepare, provokes people in a different way.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 5, 2026

But if West provokes a contest now, that rules Burnham out.

From BBC ● May 9, 2026

"I understand the anger and fear this provokes, and I will quickly meet with the Jewish community. It must always feel safe in our country," he added.

From Barron's ● Mar. 14, 2026

This “achievement gap” is a phenomenon that has been observed over and over again, and it typically provokes one of two responses.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

In a city famous for Russian-language writers and musicians, it has provoked strong passions.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

Supriyono, another protest coordinator, told AFP he was concerned the unrest could have been deliberately provoked.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

“It provoked great discussions about death, afterlife, religion in general and great character studies.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026

In fact, the entire stock market could be best described as a casino that incentivizes absurd growth like the historic tech bubble provoked by the spread of artificial intelligence.

From Salon ● Aug. 12, 2026

But unlike the disorientation, anxiety, and fear that Sputnik provoked, the agency absorbed the blow.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

Keitel’s Feraud keeps provoking the feud; Carradine’s D’Hubert recognizes its madness but remains too bound by the same code of honor to walk away.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

Known as an “urchin” bait, the lure is dominating professional competitions, sparking a rush of imitators and provoking shelf-clearing buying frenzies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

The pair have a bit of rivalry with Price's on-stage roars and antics often provoking Littler into doing similar, but the teenager denied that Price can get "under his skin".

From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026

The decisive question is how long Iran's leaders can preserve Hormuz as leverage without provoking an all-out war, renewed unrest or the construction of alternative routes that make the strait matter less.

From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026

Meg drew her aside, under pretense of pinning up a loose braid, and said approvingly, “It was dreadfully provoking, but you kept your temper, and I’m so glad, Jo.”

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott