provoke

verb

1)

the plan has provoked outrage

Syn:

arouse, produce, evoke, cause, give rise to, occasion, call forth, elicit, induce, excite, spark off, touch off, kindle, generate, engender, instigate, result in, lead to, bring on, precipitate, prompt, trigger; literary beget

Ant:

allay

2)

she was provoked into replying

Syn:

goad, spur, prick, sting, prod, egg on, incite, rouse, stir, move, stimulate, motivate, excite, inflame, work/fire up, impel

See note at incite

Ant:

deter

3)

he wouldn't be provoked

Syn:

annoy, anger, incense, enrage, irritate, infuriate, exasperate, madden, nettle, get/take a rise out of, ruffle, ruffle someone's feathers, make someone's hackles rise; harass, harry, plague, molest; tease, taunt, torment; rub the wrong way; informal peeve, aggravate, hassle, miff, needle, rankle, ride, rile, get, bug, make someone's blood boil, get under someone's skin, get in someone's hair, get/put someone's back up, get someone's goat, wind up

Ant:

pacify, appease