Synonyms for provoke

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verb

To vex
irritate, put out, aggravate; see bother 2.
To incite
stir, rouse, arouse, excite, stimulate, pique, incite, spur, evoke, prompt, prod, motivate, inspire, instigate, kindle, foment, stir up, whip up, galvanize; see also incite.
To cause
make, produce, bring about; see begin 1. See syn. study at irritate.

provoke, in this connection, implies rather generally an arousing to some action or feeling thought-provoking; excite suggests a more powerful or profound stirring or moving of the thoughts or emotions it excites my imagination; stimulate implies arousing to increased activity as if by goading or pricking and often connotes bringing out of a state of inactivity or indifference to stimulate one's enthusiasm; pique suggests stimulating as if by irritating mildly to pique one's curiosity

See provoke in Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus II

verb

To cause to feel or show anger:
anger, burn (up), enrage, incense¹, infuriate, madden. Idioms: make one hot under the collar, make one's blood boil, put one's back up. See feelings
To trouble the nerves or peace of mind of, especially by repeated vexations:
aggravate, annoy, bother, bug, chafe, disturb, exasperate, fret, gall², get, irk, irritate, nettle, peeve, put out, rile, ruffle, vex. Idioms: get in one's hair, get on one's nerves, get under one's skin. See feelings, pain
To stir to action or feeling:
egg on, excite, foment, galvanize, goad, impel, incite, inflame, inspire, instigate, motivate, move, pique, prick, prod, prompt, propel, set off, spur, stimulate, touch off, trigger, work up. See cause, excite
To behave so as to bring on (danger, for example):
court, invite, tempt. See seek

See provoke in American Heritage Dictionary 4 Synonyms

provoke incite excite stimulate arouse rouse stir ¹

These verbs mean to move a person to action or feeling or to summon something into being by so moving a person. Provoke often merely states the consequences produced: “Let my presumption not provoke thy wrath” (Shakespeare). “A situation which in the country would have provoked meetings” (John Galsworthy).
To incite is to provoke and urge on: Members of the opposition incited the insurrection.
Excite implies a strong or emotional reaction: The movie will fail; the plot excites little interest or curiosity.
Stimulate suggests renewed vigor of action as if by spurring or goading: “Our vigilance was stimulated by our finding traces of a large … encampment” (Francis Parkman).
To arouse means to awaken, as from inactivity or apathy; rouse means the same, but more strongly implies vigorous or emotional excitement: “In a democratic society like ours, relief must come through an aroused popular conscience that sears the conscience of the people's representatives” (Felix Frankfurter). “The oceangoing steamers … roused in him wild and painful longings” (Arnold Bennett).
To stir is to cause activity, strong but usually agreeable feelings, trouble, or commotion: “It was him as stirred up th' young woman to preach last night” (George Eliot). “I have seldom been so … stirred by any piece of writing” (Mark Twain).

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