1
as in excitement
something that arouses a strong response from another
a patient man who gets angry only from the greatest of provocations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in incentive
something that arouses action or activity
ready to retaliate at the slightest provocation
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 provocation
The power couple has rarely responded to Trump’s provocations.
—
Josh Meyer, USA Today, 7 Feb. 2026
Most tennis players were too savvy to fall victim to their cheap provocation.
—Beth Herman, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
On Monday morning, one day later, Wells rose to the provocation.
—Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
At the time of its publication in 1889, this hyperbolic lament for a fictional character—Lucien being the hero of Honoré de Balzac’s Lost Illusions (1837-43)—must have seemed an elegant provocation.
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for provocation
Josh Meyer, USA Today, 7 Feb. 2026
Most tennis players were too savvy to fall victim to their cheap provocation.
—Beth Herman, Boston Herald, 6 Feb. 2026
On Monday morning, one day later, Wells rose to the provocation.
—Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
At the time of its publication in 1889, this hyperbolic lament for a fictional character—Lucien being the hero of Honoré de Balzac’s Lost Illusions (1837-43)—must have seemed an elegant provocation.
—Literary Hub, 2 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for provocation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provocation
Noun
-
Though youth turnout is typically low in Japan, Takaichi’s rise has injected rare excitement into a demographic long disenchanted with national politics.—
Hanako Montgomery,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
-
But not everyone shares excitement over the success sequence — which may come across as innocuous advice, but detractors say is built upon dubious data, overlooks racial disparities and shames students who are raised in single-parent households.—
Elizabeth Chuck,
NBC news,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
This isn’t shaping up as one of those years with a McDavid-level or even Bedard-level prospect waiting with the first pick, but in a way that’s even more incentive to tank for dead last, assuring no worse than a top-three pick in a year where that still might get you the best player.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Compared someone making monetary demands, a kidnapper looking to make a statement can be more dangerous because there is less incentive to keep the person alive.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
His campaign focuses on national security and economic stimulus.—
GRANT PECK,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
-
On Sunday, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s party won a two-thirds supermajority in the lower house of parliament, as voters gave a resounding endorsement of her right-wing agenda, which includes fiscal stimulus.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Poor weather was the impetus for the decision.—
Kevin Collier,
NBC news,
4 Feb. 2026
-
What was the impetus for your first chess game?—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Aleksandar Mishkov, dog trainer and owner of The Daily Tail, offers a note of encouragement to all would-be pup owners.—
Taylor Grothe,
Parents,
9 Feb. 2026
-
He could be heard often on Saturday screaming encouragement to the middle school group during one-on-one drills.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In any case, despite the motivations behind it the mutiny in the studio turned into a party.—
Alex Suskind,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
-
While seeking a limerent object is a good case study in unconscious motivation, perhaps the best modern example of this phenomenon in practice is the cell phone.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Remarkably, the stimulation seemed to make songs more impactful and enjoyable.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Beyond just recording data, the system enables safe, long-term neural stimulation and remains functional and safe even within ultra-high-field MRI machines.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Provocation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provocation. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
