Synonyms/Hypernyms (Ordered by Estimated Frequency) of verb provoke

4 senses of provoke

Sense 1
arouse, elicit, enkindle, kindle, evoke, fire, raise, provoke -- (call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses); "arouse pity"; "raise a smile"; "evoke sympathy")
       => make, create -- (make or cause to be or to become; "make a mess in one's office"; "create a furor")

Sense 2
provoke, evoke, call forth, kick up -- (evoke or provoke to appear or occur; "Her behavior provoked a quarrel between the couple")
       => cause, do, make -- (give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally; "cause a commotion"; "make a stir"; "cause an accident")

Sense 3
provoke, stimulate -- (provide the needed stimulus for)
       => challenge -- (issue a challenge to; "Fischer challenged Spassky to a match")

Sense 4
harass, hassle, harry, chivy, chivvy, chevy, chevvy, beset, plague, molest, provoke -- (annoy continually or chronically; "He is known to harry his staff when he is overworked"; "This man harasses his female co-workers")
       => annoy, rag, get to, bother, get at, irritate, rile, nark, nettle, gravel, vex, chafe, devil -- (cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations; "Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me"; "It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves")