unprovoked

adjective

un·​pro·​voked ˌən-prə-ˈvōkt How to pronounce unprovoked (audio)
: occurring without any identifiable cause or justification : not provoked
an unprovoked assault/attack
unprovoked anger

Examples of unprovoked in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Russia's tourism landscape has shifted since President Vladimir Putin's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, with most Western airlines halting flights to Russia, either due to home-country restrictions or Moscow's retaliatory bans. Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025 The shocks triggered by the pandemic and by Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine have exposed the flaws in relying on free markets alone to ensure safety and security. Katherine Tai, Foreign Affairs, 9 Jan. 2025 In Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, United States Air Force Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper goes rogue and launches an unprovoked nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 8 Jan. 2025 Judges have the discretion to order the euthanasia of dangerous or vicious dogs after the first unprovoked attack. Erin Couch, The Enquirer, 30 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for unprovoked 

Word History

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unprovoked was in 1534

Dictionary Entries Near unprovoked

Cite this Entry

“Unprovoked.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unprovoked. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

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