as in to create
to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)
we should be prepared for the possibility that any solution may invoke another set of problems
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of invoke
The Alien Enemies Act had been previously invoked only three times in American history, all at times when the U.S. had officially declared war.
—
Joel Rose, NPR, 16 May 2025
Diop’s title, Dahomey, uses the country’s mythic name to invoke the history of the Kingdom of Dahomey that is so resonant in Africana studies but that now refers to Diop’s combined artful and reportorial approach.
—Armond White, National Review, 16 May 2025
White supremacists in Europe and the United States invoke it as a warning about demographic shifts.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 15 May 2025
Trump’s team has already made sweeping use of federal powers, invoking the 1798 Alien Enemies Act earlier this year to justify the rapid deportation of more than 230 migrants to El Salvador, where they are being held in a massive prison.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for invoke
Joel Rose, NPR, 16 May 2025
Diop’s title, Dahomey, uses the country’s mythic name to invoke the history of the Kingdom of Dahomey that is so resonant in Africana studies but that now refers to Diop’s combined artful and reportorial approach.
—Armond White, National Review, 16 May 2025
White supremacists in Europe and the United States invoke it as a warning about demographic shifts.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 15 May 2025
Trump’s team has already made sweeping use of federal powers, invoking the 1798 Alien Enemies Act earlier this year to justify the rapid deportation of more than 230 migrants to El Salvador, where they are being held in a massive prison.
—Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 9 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for invoke
Recent Examples of Synonyms for invoke
Verb
-
Defense created easy offense and in the halfcourt, the ball skipped around.—
Fiifi Frimpong,
New York Daily News,
28 May 2025
-
Ronaldo’s post on social media on Monday, when Al Nassr played the final match of their season, then created more conversation.—
Anantaajith Raghuraman,
New York Times,
28 May 2025
Verb
-
Rodriguez has been charged by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with the murder of foreign officials, causing death through the use of a firearm and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, the district attorney's office said.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
People.com,
23 May 2025
-
Over the multi-day event, tornadoes touched down in Missouri, Kentucky, Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Virginia, and Oklahoma and caused over 20 fatalities.—
Rebecca Angel Baer,
Southern Living,
22 May 2025
Verb
-
That’s when Trump called for an aide to bring to him a stack of articles about violent attacks on white farmers and dim the lights to bring the room’s attention to a large flat screen TV set up along a wall of the Oval Office.—
Brian Bennett,
Time,
22 May 2025
-
Preliminary purchasing managers’ index data will be released for France and the U.K. CNBC will also be bringing you interviews from the Barclays leadership conference, focusing on energy, geopolitics and sector-specific challenges.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
22 May 2025
Verb
-
In the fifth, the Dodgers generated their best chance against Senga … only for the right-hander to induce a two-out grounder from Smith that ended the threat.—
Jack Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2025
-
That research also generated more than $94.5 billion in new economic activity nationwide, according to United for Medical Research, a coalition of research groups and advocates.—
Katheryn Houghton,
NPR,
26 May 2025
Verb
-
That prompted the Open Championship winner to ask for relief.—
Kendall Capps,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 May 2025
-
Margin anxiety nonetheless prompted HF Sinclair to pause what had been a budding streak of annual dividend hikes since a little before the corporate merger.—
Brett Owens,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2025
Verb
-
The characters are too one-dimensional to care about — though we’re sporadically asked to do just that — yet at the same time their cartoonishness isn’t treated with enough gusto to actually be fun.—
Dennis Harvey,
Variety,
23 May 2025
-
But then, proving the impossible possible is what these films have done from the start.—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
23 May 2025
Verb
-
Hailstones, which can break windows, tear off siding and dent and even puncture roofing material, account for between half and 80% of homeowner insurance claims annually from severe convective storms — thunderstorms that can produce hail and tornadoes — according to St. George.—
Michael Copley,
NPR,
23 May 2025
-
In Portugal, a snap general election has produced a picture of the political spectrum seen in other EU countries like Germany, and heavily colored by the issue of immigration.—
Mike O'Sullivan,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Invoke.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/invoke. Accessed 30 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share