How To Use Provoke In A Sentence

Arguing that FDR provoked the attack was Gore Vidal, novelist, provocateur, T. V. icon, and one of the greatest English-language essayists alive.
In a seemingly unprovoked incident, the attackers hit both men and women in the 16-strong party, with a 72-year-old woman left unconscious.
This was gracious of him and also provoked an unexpected conspiratorial mirth between the interviewer and interviewee. Times, Sunday Times
This has provoked anger among some Labour veterans who spent the Eighties in vicious battles with the impossibilist left to return the party to electability. Despite their hopes of a great revival, the left got left behind
This was gracious of him and also provoked an unexpected conspiratorial mirth between the interviewer and interviewee. Times, Sunday Times

At other times it provokes genuine, childish delight, the wonderment of having stumbled across a secret.
After all, a strong leader provokes a strong reaction.
The disclosures last night provoked renewed condemnation of Britain's multibillion-pound arms industry for selling to both sides in the escalating Kashmir crisis.
Especially on the left, the defeat in 1849 provoked a period of reassessment which, together with the hardship and loneliness of political exile, led to some substantial political realignments.
In acquiescing, the government was well aware that the final terms would provoke peasant hostility, and took suitable precautions.
Eye-witness accounts told of the unprovoked shooting of civilians.
It puts forward the idea that Earth is a globular allium and "pain and fear" are the lachrymatory agents that provoke all the tears. Readers recommend songs about vegetables: The results
The last thing we want is to put ourselves in the position where he is taunted or provoked and reacts again.
In November of 1997, after a massacre in Luxor that killed fifty-eight tourists and provoked overwhelming revulsion, Egypt's Gamaa al-Islamiya halted its armed struggle. Backfire
Frank, who felt a little provoked over the accident, since he aspired to be a capable canoeman at all times. The Outdoor Chums After Big Game Or, Perilous Adventures in the Wilderness
Tax deficient California's treatment of multinational firms threatens to provoke a global tax war.
The pair of articles provoked a large number of responses from readers.
If power interests are threatened, then new models of conformity may merely provoke new forms of deviance.
He claimed that it was her rudeness that provoked him to strike her.
He is also about 12 years of age and, as far as we know, it was a completely unprovoked assault.
The comments have provoked outrage, with politicians in France and Germany vocal in condemning what they termed a distortion of the scientific evidence that risked putting many more lives at risk in sub-Saharan Africa, where millions are living with the disease. Top stories from Times Online
His manner was rather that of a music hall artist, complacent, even cheerful, as his one-liners provoked from his audience the rejoinders he sought.
The decision to close the factory has provoked fury.
These assumptions often provoke heated disagreements because it is so hard to find anyplace to look to settle them.
On a basic level, the destruction of these austere cuboid monoliths on our skyline has provoked us to reflect on what buildings mean.
The lawyer claimed his client was provoked into acts of violence by the defendant.
The affair has provoked calls from teachers' unions for a rethink of the tests and the importance they are given in selecting teachers.
The reference to text messages provoked hilarity on the opposition benches. Times, Sunday Times
The more the reactionaries lash out, the more resistance they provoke.
What happened here was an unprovoked and cowardly attack,' he said. Times, Sunday Times
In the 1830s this provoked significant tension between antislavery parliamentarians and activists in the country.
The offensive has provoked an al-Qaida-linked self-proclaimed commander of the Pakistani Taliban to suspend peace talks with the government.
If he were to tell the truth it would provoke Newton into the next carriage across the Sands.
My post, while intentionally understated, is meant to provoke one to think about the insanity of "sameness" being the purpose of education. "No Child Left Behind" Is Nothing New In Albuquerque
The dispute is still thought likely to provoke a stormy, if not violent, showdown.
This sustained defiance of the elements provoked occasional judgments in the shape of a "hoast" (cough), and the head of the house was then exhorted by his women folk to "change his feet" if he had happened to walk through a burn on his way home, and was pestered generally with sanitary precautions. Stories by English Authors: Scotland (Selected by Scribners)
Sir, he is rash and very sudden in choler, and haply may strike at you: provoke him, that he may; for even out of that will I cause these of Cyprus to mutiny; whose qualification shall come into no true taste again but by the displanting of Cassio. Othello, the Moore of Venice
If it still provokes a reaction then it should be excluded for six months at least. The Beat Fatigue Workbook - how to identify the causes
Whatever reaction it provokes, there is an obligation to history to unmask an apparent lie of this magnitude and establish the truth.
The only time I felt provoked to send him a strong punchy letter was when he flew out on a secret mission to China, in the early 1970s, as Nixon's special messenger.
The comments provoked widespread criticism, and she apologised. Times, Sunday Times
And to attack us in a way that might provoke a response, I don't think is in his interest.
He seems to feel duty-bound to provoke a reaction whether it is outrage, exasperation, outright hostility or unreserved admiration.
The suggestion inevitably provoked outrage from student leaders.
What on earth had Hugh Puddephat done to provoke such passionate hatred in this well-mannered woman?
We discussed Yasmin Alibhai-Brown's concerns that blogging is just 'pub bores' ( see debate on political blogging here on TV), the state of the blog wars, in which both sides have taken a lot of flak, particularly Tim, who has provoked a needed debate about damage done to the image of blogging by lack of basic 'netiquette', and who has been viciously ( anonymously) lambasted for it, which rather proves his original point. Blogger TV again
English in the West Indies; or, the/[Page xi]/Bow of Ulysses '(the long bow of Ulysses it should have been), provoked numerous damaging replies, the most effective of which was' Mr. Froude's Negrophobia; or, New Letters and Memorials of Jane Welsh Carlyle
Some of the dissenters, provoked by the police use of tear gas against them, responded by torching Gabriel's house.
Even your humble correspondent succumbed to the spirit of anarchy, but the response my "crudeness" provoked gives me a few suggestions for investigators chasing leads on the recent spate of criminal harassment toward progressive elements. Archive 2005-10-16
But this isn't some random apothegm; it is a dramatic thought, provoked by the life situation of the main character and attributed to him; it certainly is not an Olympian idea delivered from on high. Martin Amis's 'The Pregnant Widow' Is A 'Strange, Sparkling Novel' (New York Review)
Her secrecy was one of the things that most excited him, being alone with his poupe provoked a tantalizing sense of collusion, rare for Linus, who had little time for others. The Forgotten Garden
Although she had been told that the mygale sometimes ate small birds, her short experience in the Amazon had taught her that not many creatures - insects and piranha excepted - attacked unless hungry, provoked, trodden upon or surrounded by others of their species. River Of Desire
In the first episode a shocking, random act of violence sees a young woman knocked to the ground in an unprovoked attack by a stranger. The Sun
His remarks about her weight provoked her into telling him to shut up.
I know without a doubt that if provoked my mother could become a homicidal maniac in defence of her animals.
Nathan was looking at her with a wild expression, the kind he got whenever she had deliberately provoked him.
She almost pitied the Seth's clingy girlfriend, except that the busty girl really should have known better than to intentionally provoke her.
These particular punishments, the lectures that preceded them and the screams they provoked, were recorded on a giant reel-to-reel tape recorder that stood in the living-room.
Nursery nurses claim the council has provoked the action by ignoring their arguments for an increase in their hourly rate.
Such an attitude expects no rebuffs and overlooks those it provokes.
These offences provoked an outcry when the nation was honouring those who have died in service. The Sun
From Mike Wallace, "This 'scandalmonger' was entertained and provoked by Ms. Garment's remarkable catalogue. Scandal: The Culture of Mistrust in American Politics
He seemed to her like the kind of man who loved to provoke reaction.
Repeated attempts to provoke an attack may cause the symptoms to disappear altogether.
These changes provoked the anger of William Cobbett, who wished to return to a golden age when England was still a land of prosperous yeomen farmers and contented cottagers.
The date was the 79th anniversary of the Mukden incident, a plot by Japanese Imperial Army officers that helped provoke the Japanese invasion of Manchuria.
Let alone the content of the piece, the tsarist ring of the title was bound to provoke Soviet anger.
Flexion force applied against long finger (third digit) extension distal to the proximal interphalangeal joint may provoke pain over the extensor muscle mass in the proximal forearm.
The existence of competing bodies claiming to exercise jurisdiction in the town inevitably provoked violent confrontation.
Sectarian tensions had already been running high, and the abductions threaten to provoke armed conflict.
'Your message re the krytron that provoked Hawkins's ire must have been badly handled.' Santorini
Many now argue that the reporter is needed to provoke engagement with the viewer.
The rift with the rest of the ECB's council deepened in September when, in an interview with Bloomberg, Mr. Weber pre-empted the policy decisions of the council's next meeting, something that provoked a memorable put-down from the normally imperturbable Mr. Trichet. Was Weber Sacrificed for the Euro?
The comments provoked an angry response from union leaders.
All told, this was a lachrymose week, though perversely if the greatest music provokes a lump in your throat you know it's all going swimmingly. Antonio Meneses and Maria João Pires; La traviata – review
And if the evidence for charges relating to his hostile acts indicates that he was acting in self-defense, then his conduct is as justifiable as would be an assault on a police officer who commits an unprovoked attack on a person. Balkinization
Mr. Bulluck said Mr. Coughlin had specifically and exactingly warned the team Saturday night that Tennessee would try to provoke personal fouls. Giants Reeling From Sloppy Play
The clamor of controversy sometimes provoked the emperor to exclaim, “Hear me! the Franks have heard me, and the Alemanni;” but he soon discovered that he was now engaged with more obstinate and implacable enemies; and though he exerted the powers of oratory to persuade them to live in concord, or at least in peace, he was perfectly satisfied, before he dismissed them from his presence, that he had nothing to dread from the union of the Christians. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire
So bold an enterprise, so boldly undertaken, is bound to provoke not merely thought but dissent.
The walkout was provoked by a monitoring system BA wants to introduce.
His increasingly authoritarian style of leadership has provoked some concern about the future of democracy in the country.
Either Quinn knew just what he was doing or he was going to provoke the kidnapper into putting down the phone.
The more scripted traditional Tibetan songs and dances provoke stronger reactions.
She says her illustration of a frenzied cat with a serpentine body always provoked immense laughter from children.
Sir, he is rash and very sudden in choler, and haply may strike at you: provoke him, that he may; for even out of that will I cause these of Cyprus to mutiny, whose qualification shall come into no true taste again but by the displanting of Cassio. Act II. Scene I. Othello, the Moor of Venice
The compensation has provoked claims of misusing public funds and demeaning the value of a disabled person's life. Times, Sunday Times
St Matthew-in-the-City Church in Auckland, which erected the billboard, said it had intended to provoke debate. The Mary and Joseph billboard « Anglican Samizdat
Stars grace our night sky and provoke our sense of wonder.
I mean isn't that exactly what the print media and the media more generally should be doing in order to stir up the imagination and to provoke debate within the community?
Are you trying to provoke me? Times, Sunday Times
His belated admission to the ranks of the tenjo-bito provoked some derision and he was commonly spoken of as Gen-sammi (the Minamoto third rank). A History of the Japanese People From the Earliest Times to the End of the Meiji Era
And is NASA the ONLY government agency that provokes this kind of emotionalism? Repugnant Behavior on the Part of One NASA Employee - NASA Watch
Jaspers's emphasis on the importance of form over the content of psychopathology provokes the authors' ire.
Since the eighteenth century, sex has not ceased to provoke a kind of generalized discursive erethism.
The press release provoked furious protests from the Gore camp and other top Democrats.
But even this melted away: first, under the reflection that if the mysterious fur-merchant wished to remain incognito, he must be extremely provoked with Margaret; (and she rather liked the idea of any body being provoked with Margaret;) and secondly, a further thaw took place on more amiable grounds, when the Duke, laying his hand gently on her arm as she passed from the dining-room, said fondly: Stuart of Dunleath: A Story of Modern Times
If we now proceed with our analysis of what is to be included in the notion of excitability, we at once discover, that the different actions which can be provoked by the influence of any external agency are essentially of three kinds. The World's Greatest Books — Volume 15 — Science
“intrinsic” meaning — in Panofsky's terminology — of a work of art cannot be described in terms used by the history of art, but only in terms borrowed from the history of philosophy, of religion, of social structures, of science, and so on, the “iconological method” took for granted and provoked such a collaboration. ICONOGRAPHY
No American author had ever dreamed of such ovation before: an ovation not due to any incisive thought, not due to any novelty of his subject-matter, -- but due to the fact that a man born overseas had suddenly appeared among British writers, who could lay hold upon their own resources of sentiment, and inwrap it in language which charmed them by its grace and provoked them by its purity. The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 13, No. 80, June, 1864
Despite its effectiveness, the CWU has capitulated to management demands that originally provoked the strike.
Well, I don't fight, he beats me up - it's my fault, I provoke him.
In his debut novel he sets out to provoke strong reactions and, given his subject matter, doubtless he will succeed.
The news provoked an angry response.
Genetic manipulation of food products provokes strong emotions whenever it is discussed.
Romantic bestseller (it provoked E.T.A. Hoffmann, amongst others, towards an interest in psychopathology). Psychology in Search of Psyches: Friedrich Schelling, Gotthilf Schubert and the Obscurities of the Romantic Soul
And yet he said nothing to provoke her outburst.
Not the less soured by these multiplied causes of irritation, from the reflection that they were attributable to his own follies and vices, he gave full scope to his resentments, and indulged himself in expressions of angry reproach against what he termed the ingratitude of his country, which provoked those around him, and gave great offense to Congress. Life and Times of Washington
You can provoke them, you can alarm them, you can put rockets under them and turn flame-throwers on them.
Under what conditions does populism temper the potential ethnicity to provoke disintegrative social conflict, and instead promote pluralist democracy?
He is simply tolerant and forbearant, and refrains from judging harshly; and harsh judgments of others will almost invariably provoke harsh judgments of ourselves. Searchlights on Health The Science of Eugenics
Neighbours arrive to talk to officialdom; they voice strong opposition but are careful not to provoke trouble.
It's unfair to suggest that he deliberately provokes dressing room conflict, but he's not the ideal chap to apply soothing balm when it breaks out.
The existence of competing bodies claiming to exercise jurisdiction in the town inevitably provoked violent confrontation.
There's always one that packs unprovoked heat, stinging the gums and making you gurn. Times, Sunday Times
Puritan jurisprudence, 113; sabbatarian extravagance provokes reaction, 371. A History of American Christianity
Such headaches, for me, are provoked by stress, sleep deprivation, and dehydration.
One slide about careless talk and spies immediately provoked comments about an episode from Dad's Army.
The continuation of economic austerity policies under these conditions has provoked a wave of upheavals throughout the continent.
Attempting to form a political party or joining an Islamic group were known as easy ways to provoke the security forces into action.
It is abrasive to the skin and may provoke allergic reactions.
The starting-point of the class, however, and the position within it of apetalous families with frequently unisexual flowers, have provoked much discussion. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Part 1, Slice 1
The decision provoked an angry reaction from local residents.
We know envy as a state of exquisite tension, torment and ill-will, provoked by an overwhelming sense of inferiority, impotence and worthlessness.
The article was intended to provoke discussion.
The hostile reaction provoked more bad passes. The Sun
The pilot project has provoked criticism from both ends of the political spectrum. Times, Sunday Times
According to her, one ‘has to be a good teller in order to write a good story and provoke reactions.’
The International Shark Attack File describes shark attacks as either provoked or unprovoked.
A proposed resolution to oppose voucher plans and charter schools provoked a spirited debate on the convention floor.
The existence of competing bodies claiming to exercise jurisdiction in the town inevitably provoked violent confrontation.
I said [ did ] nothing to provoke him.
The elements of sadomasochistic sex, desires for violence, and a trajectory toward suicide will provoke discomfort among many readers.
But there is also the fact that any rearranging of the distribution would be extremely likely to provoke a hostile reaction. Science, Technology, and Social Change
Archon Beed Thane of Vergill was particularly opposed, and theatrically insulted Leia Organa Solo in order to provoke an honor duel from Isolder.
His actions provoked severe criticism from civil rights groups.
Or perhaps those who would benefit most from Imran Khan's wise suggestions are the timid little satrap/'allies' of NATO who would sooner waste their wealth, consign their sons to foreign graves and provoke generations of revenge attacks than tell a ranting yankee general at the NATO meetings to depart and leave the rest of us and themalone. Pakistan will implode if the US does not leave Afghanistan
The demonetization of cowries or manillas provoked strong protest from people whose savings were in these forms, to such a degree, indeed, that the British were eventually forced to offer conversion facilities.
My aim is to provoke a debate on a sacrosanct subject that has remained undebatable for far too long.
As soon as these experiences become amalgamated with the problems the migrants left behind them in their homeland, it provokes an incendiary situation, possibly even a revolutionary movement.
Never have I seen such a show of irrational and unprovoked verbal abuse.
The Thatcher government's policy, effected in the Broadcasting Act of 1990, provoked intense debate.
The article was intended to provoke thought.
It may be that high levels of cat allergen induce tolerance, which protects against wheeze in very young children, but provoke symptoms in older children predisposed to wheeze for various reasons.
Human curiosity seems the obvious answer, and eavesdropping creates that narrative lack which provokes curiosity.
There are also critics' year-end lists -- and some indescribable chemistry that makes for a nice pairing between dark, cold weather and movies that provoke contemplation rather than shell shock.
He started beating me when I was about fifteen but I didn't do anything to provoke him.
We don't know whether it was unprovoked or whether there had been an incident earlier in the evening.
Many of the homes to be demolished are boarded-up and unlet, but the news provoked a strong backlash among the many tenants who remain.
The change depended upon changes in the wider context of controversy, which provoked the development of formerly implicit attitudinal aspects.
War would not only sever these supplies, but would also provoke a big influx of refugees.
News that two young East Yorkshire men are set to become dot com millionaires will provoke a myriad of reactions.
Earlier this week, a Blackwater dude made an unprovoked lunge at our car after Kyle tried to take a picture of him.
In 2013 a 4million aid payout to the same group provoked an outcry. The Sun
Still, the prospect of turning up in Darwin, capital of the Northern Territory, at the ungodly hour of 4am provoked anxiety.
On the contrary, the patient, like one provoked by interruption, changed her posture, and called out with an impatient tone, "Nurse -- nurse, turn my face to the wa ', that I may never answer to that name ony mair, and never see mair of a wicked world. The Heart of Mid-Lothian, Complete
This atrocity, directed at a Muslim house of prayer, was designed to provoke retaliation from Iraqi Shia - and it succeeded.
This provokes an artificial crisis which is used to discredit the unions by placing the blame directly on them for the crisis.
This traditional group of people no longer seems to provoke the interest of the Bulgarian people.
The fear of racial violence was provoked by Conservative politician Enoch Powell.
For, if you would inform, a positive and dogmatical manner in advancing your sentiments may provoke contradiction and prevent a candid attention. In which Max discovers a tic, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty
Rush out cheap, high-deductible policies, allaying some of the resentment that the mandate provokes among the young, healthy and footloose affluent. The GOP Can Outsmart ObamaCare
Players have complained he provokes them by flashing cards right in their faces. The Sun
The condemnation follows recent controversy in the US where a rash of product recalls has provoked a safety panic over free gifts.
Information about local authority policy and arrangements is clearly intended to provoke public awareness and discussion of local education policy generally.
The recent string of intelligence failures has provoked calls for creating a Director of National Intelligence who would have broad oversight over all spooks.
His declaration is the first time a sitting Conservative MP has advocated a complete break with the EU and is sure to provoke a sharp rebuke from party whips.
True, bolder challenges to orthodoxy, especially when they touched upon the role played by the party, provoked fierce resistance.
The new import laws have provoked furious complaints from business groups.
A number of individuals singled out one of our officers, trying to provoke him. The Sun
There are some interesting figures quoted in the article - figures that don't shock or surprise me anymore, but just provoke hollow laughter and indignation.
The decision provoked an angry response from residents.
Acetylcholine is released by neurons to provoke muscle contraction.
The Court noted that double jeopardy is generally not implicated when a defendant obtains a verdict or chooses to prevent one by successfully seeking a mistrial, but that there is an exception to that rule that applies when a prosecutor has engaged in prejudicial misconduct deliberately intended to provoke a mistrial motion. Constitutional Issues
Therefore they can provoke as much hunger as any other food. Successful Fasting -the easy way to cleanse your body of its poisons
Unemployment may provoke a sense of alienation from society.
It's a very rum go, and in the end, despite the occasional hoots of sardonic delight which it all provokes, it just makes you feel a bit depressed.
Such tendentious statements are likely to provoke strong opposition.
My post yesterday about bounders and cads provoked a torrent of commentary and email, so I thought I'd share it with everyone.
Some appear to stimulate cell replication but haven't been shown to provoke malignancies. The Scientist
In Athens she will wear a headscarf and tracksuit pants when she runs; she has no wish to provoke or antagonise.
Deliberately provoke your adversary. Find something that makes them angry and keep wheedling away on this point until they lose their temper and so the argument.
I find it amazing that my flippant and sardonic comments on one 600 pound butterball of a women has provoked such a response.
If you provoke the dog, it will attack you.
This provoked a sudden panic that it could be a bad omen. Times, Sunday Times
His actions provoked severe criticism from civil rights groups.
But this was his most sustained and unprovoked attack - and it was as needless as it was classless. The Sun
Do not provoke prodigal son, artistic young and middle - aged men.
Spenser uses often ‘to welk’ (welken) in the sense of to fade, ‘to sty’ for to mount, ‘to hery’ as to glorify or praise, ‘to halse’ as to embrace, ‘teene’ as vexation or grief: Shakespeare ‘to tarre’ as to provoke, ‘to sperr’ as to enclose or bar in; ‘to sag’ for to droop, or hang the head downward. English Past and Present
A proposed resolution to oppose voucher plans and charter schools provoked a spirited debate on the convention floor.
I beg your pardon," said Tip, rather provoked, for he felt a warm interest in both the Saw-Horse and his man Jack; "but permit me to say that your joke is a poor one, and as old as it is poor. The Woggle-Bug’s Thorough Command of the Language
This provoked thunderous applause from the 13,000 people attending the meeting. Times, Sunday Times
The new tax provoked a public outcry.
She looks for clothes that can tell a story and provoke an emotional reaction. Times, Sunday Times
This has provoked claims of a power grab. Times, Sunday Times
High youth unemployment also helped provoke mass demonstrations. Times, Sunday Times
What had she done to provoke his wrath?
Benedict also discussed his contentious speech in Regensburg, Germany, in 2006, which provoked the ire of the Muslim world; denounced drug abuse; explained what he described as the impossibility of ordaining women as priests; and, with surprising candor, said that if he did not feel up to the task of being pope, he would resign. The Seattle Times
And that is because no sooner are they announced than they provoke widespread fear and condemnation from an army of professional naysayers.
If some moron shows up and provokes police and is imperilling our plan and the safety of our supporters, we're definitely going to ensure that person's booted out. French-Canadian separatists to protest during Prince William's visit to Quebec
Then she actually began to slap my arm lightly - not very hard, just enough to provoke me.

How To Use Provoke In A Sentence

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