provocative

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Some sports media types believe SI is largely a nostalgia play in a landscape where young fans go elsewhere for game highlights and turn to provocative hosts such as Pat McAfee on YouTube.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 5, 2026

Police said most people behaved peacefully but they saw "provocative conduct and the heavy use of pyrotechnics and fireworks - despite various warnings being issued against this".

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

There’s a difference between making something provocative and outright, intentional provocation.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

Heavily metaphoric and less intimately provocative than the French writer-director’s previous movies, “Alpha” is a domestic drama that may not necessarily be set at the end of the world.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

At the time, the ungrammatical and somehow provocative use of “like” instead of “as” created a minor sensation.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell