Synonyms for “provoke”

verb

1. =  anger, insult, annoy, offend, irritate, infuriate, hassle (informal), aggravate (informal), incense, enrage, gall, put someone out, madden, exasperate, vex, affront, chafe, irk, rile, pique, get on someone's nerves (informal), get someone's back up, piss someone off (taboo & slang), put someone's back up, try someone's patience, nark (British & Australian & New Zealand, slang), make someone's blood boil, get in someone's hair (informal), rub someone up the wrong way, hack someone off (informal) • I didn't want to do anything to provoke him.
   opposites: calm, appease, placate, quiet, soothe, sweeten, pacify, mollify, conciliate, propitiate
2. =  rouse, cause, produce, lead to, move, fire, promote, occasion, excite, inspire, generate, prompt, stir, stimulate, motivate, induce, bring about, evoke, give rise to, precipitate, elicit, inflame, incite, instigate, kindle, foment, call forth, draw forth, bring on or down • His comments have provoked a shocked reaction.
   opposites: ease, relieve, moderate, modify, temper, curb, blunt, lessen, lull, allay, mitigate, abate, assuage