provocar
verbCEFR B2
What does “provocar” mean in English?
to provoke, to trigger
to provoke, to trigger (to cause a reaction or event; provocar + noun — very frequent in journalism)
Example sentences
Las declaraciones del ministro provocaron una oleada de críticas por parte de la oposición.
The minister's statements provoked a wave of criticism from the opposition.
El apagón provocado por la tormenta afectó a más de doscientas mil viviendas de la región.
The power cut caused by the storm affected more than two hundred thousand homes in the region.
How to use it
Provocar means 'to provoke', 'to cause', or 'to trigger'. Very frequent in formal and journalistic registers. Collocations: provocar una reacción, provocar un debate, provocar cambios. The causative sense (cause something to happen) is most common at B2. Structure: provocar + noun.
Common mistake
Provocar (trigger/cause — often unintended side-effect or reaction) vs. causar (cause — neutral, wider use) vs. desencadenar (trigger — chain reaction). In journalism, provocar and desencadenar overlap freely.