invoke
verb (used with object)
to call for with earnest desire; make supplication or pray for.
invoking
-
present participleof invoke.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The majestic costumes of Catarina Copelli, invoking a rich brocaded world on the brink of disappearance, might be the real superstar.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
The eccentric executive cast his criticism as friendly, invoking the French proverb "qui aime bien chatie bien" -- spare the rod, spoil the child.
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
Instead of invoking an internal decision maker, James proposes focusing directly on the interacting sensory and motor systems that generate behavior.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026
Hackney wrote her book against the specter of another: “Hillbilly Elegy,” the 2016 bestselling memoir invoking Appalachian values by current Vice President JD Vance, who grew up outside that region in Middletown, Ohio.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
If he was ordained, he would defy the edict, invoking the tenth commandment, which clearly said he was beholden to no laws beyond the ten—including any edicts levied by the Scythedom.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
