as in provocative
serving or likely to arouse a strong reaction
piquing remarks that were said mainly to get a rise out of the other guests at the party
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in bothering
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
her seat companion piqued her by repeatedly poking her in the ribs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in provoking
to rouse to strong feeling or action
their sarcastic comments piqued him to respond in kind
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in priding
to think highly of (oneself)
she piques herself on her considerable musical abilities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of piquing
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026
While the Hoka Bondi 9s are my pick for the best sneakers for pregnancy, here are a few other Hoka favorites to check out if these aren’t fully piquing your interest.
—Olivia Dubyak, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
Iconix Brands Group pioneered the approach in the prior decade, piquing the interest of Salter, who iterated on the concept.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 10 Nov. 2025
Possibly proving the old adage that there is no such thing as bad publicity, with the critical response piquing people’s curiosity, All’s Fair launched at #1 on Hulu’s Top 15 and remained in the top spot for the first three days on platform.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
Interestingly enough, the tumulus represents a meeting of Roman and Celtic traditions, though, by the looks of it, this funerary monument, possibly attached to a stately though unknown elite, was a symbolic gesture, piquing intrigue and revealing a slice of Roman life rarely seen.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2025
Romelu Lukaku are piquing interest.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
What that’s code for — and what’s piquing Andrew’s caretaker tendencies along with his pheromones — is a certain kind of big-eyed helplessness.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2026
While the Hoka Bondi 9s are my pick for the best sneakers for pregnancy, here are a few other Hoka favorites to check out if these aren’t fully piquing your interest.
—Olivia Dubyak, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
Iconix Brands Group pioneered the approach in the prior decade, piquing the interest of Salter, who iterated on the concept.
—Evan Clark, Footwear News, 10 Nov. 2025
Possibly proving the old adage that there is no such thing as bad publicity, with the critical response piquing people’s curiosity, All’s Fair launched at #1 on Hulu’s Top 15 and remained in the top spot for the first three days on platform.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 7 Nov. 2025
Interestingly enough, the tumulus represents a meeting of Roman and Celtic traditions, though, by the looks of it, this funerary monument, possibly attached to a stately though unknown elite, was a symbolic gesture, piquing intrigue and revealing a slice of Roman life rarely seen.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2025
Romelu Lukaku are piquing interest.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for piquing
Adjective
-
The police did not respond to a list of questions from CNN, including which instructions were not followed, which conduct was suspicious and why possessing a camera is seen as provocative.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
-
So, what does the provocative British artist have to do with all of this?—
Leigh Anne Miller,
ARTnews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Yusei Kikuchi said throwing fastballs was bothering him again, so the Los Angeles Angels pitcher left Wednesday's 3-2, 10-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox after two innings with left shoulder tightness.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Please order Keegan to make a pre-bathroom coffee for both of us for one week and then stop bothering me about it.—
John Hodgman,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The films below offer up thought-provoking answers, but not all of them are bullish on humanity’s chances.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
-
On a brighter note, under this thought-provoking transit, networking can become surprisingly fruitful.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But with a bid to appeal to more women and families, Hooters risks failing to differentiate itself from the dozens of other casual dining chains also priding themselves on being family-friendly, according to Saunders.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
14 Nov. 2025
-
If bookmaking was in theory the keel that kept the ship upright, in practice Bowyer often treated it as another gamble, priding himself on taking bets that his competition wouldn’t touch.—
DAVID AMSDEN,
Rolling Stone,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
At a charged political moment, her relatively sober look seemed intended to keep the focus on POTUS.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
12 Dec. 2025
-
What Happens Next Greene is likely to continue stoking controversy by breaking with her party, as conversations around immigration remain charged and divisive.—
Alia Shoaib,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Although pest control companies offer lethal solutions such as carpenter bee traps or chemical treatments, the best way to keep carpenter bees from bugging you is using stained, sealed, varnished or treated wood in building projects.—
Sarah Linn
April 24,
Sacbee.com,
24 Apr. 2026
-
So, all the things people were yelling about with Southwest weren’t bugging me.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The state has tried to get upstream from abuse and neglect, raising awareness of resources and encouraging the general community to support families, said Thomas Miller, director of children, aging and community services at the Colorado Department of Human Services.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Parents and pediatricians can advocate for child pedestrian safety by supporting and encouraging community programs with resources offered through organizations such as Safe Routes to School.—
Dr. Phyllis Agran,
Boston Herald,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Al-Sudani issued a statement congratulating al-Zaidi.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Jerry Jones quickly recovered and told a story about Clinton after congratulating him on a recent Forbes article that highlighted his accomplishments.—
Briauna Brown,
CBS News,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Piquing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/piquing. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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