unprovoked

adjective

un·​pro·​voked ˌən-prə-ˈvōkt How to pronounce unprovoked (audio)
: occurring without any identifiable cause or justification : not provoked
an unprovoked assault/attack
unprovoked anger

Examples of unprovoked in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Last year, 47 people were bitten in unprovoked attacks. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 23 Dec. 2025 That includes a 16-year-old boy stabbed in the stomach in an unprovoked attack on a bus in Queens. Elijah Westbrook, CBS News, 18 Dec. 2025 Last month, a 71-year-old man was reportedly hit four times on the head unprovoked by an object — believed to be a cell phone — being brandished by a woman on the ninth floor of the store, the outlet reported, citing police. Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025 Deputy Brown’s courage in the face of an unprovoked and cowardly attack reflects the very best of our profession. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 12 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unprovoked

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unprovoked was in 1534

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Cite this Entry

“Unprovoked.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unprovoked. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.

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