"provoke a situation" is a correct phrase in written English and can be used to describe causing or instigating a particular situation.
It implies that someone intentionally or deliberately did something to create a particular scenario or outcome. Example: The politician's inflammatory comments on social media provoked a tense situation at the public forum.
South America's isolation during most of the Cenozoic and the late timing of connection with North America through the Panamanian land-bridge [ 56], which acted as an ecological filter that only favored the dispersal of generalist species or species specialized in savanna biome [ 1], provoked a situation of unbalance in the modern assemblage of South American mammals.
In Northern Ireland the police website contains advice for those caught up in such incidents, assuring them of discretion and declaring: "The police will not arrive at the victim's house with lights and horns blazing or do anything to provoke a hostage situation".
Be aware that most racial slurs/name calling is done in a non aggressive way, responding in an aggressive manner is likely to provoke a potentially dangerous situation, as well as re-affirm the verbal attackers ignorance and stereotype.
Derivatives investors who stand to make huge profits if a company or country defaults, for example, might try to provoke default — a situation that regulators should be able to prevent.
However, it does present other possible drawbacks: 1) it relies on the hypothetical assumption of steady-state conditions, 2) the mathematical calculation of the data could increase the experimental error and, 3) the need to measure the mRNA disappearance during a prolonged time provokes a stressful situation that affects genes expression.
"We have said on many occasions that any steps that would whip up tension at the disengagement line and generally provoke an already uneasy situation will only further distance us from settling this intra-Ukrainian issue," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.
"And I am afraid that if we continue to do this we might provoke a radicalization of the political situation that could bring unwanted results".
And although Russia has used the "gas weapon" in past spats with both Ukraine and Georgia, it is difficult to see what situation could provoke a willful, long-term disruption in energy flows to the West.
The demonstrations appeared to be aimed at creating a chaotic situation that could provoke a strong reaction by the military.
De Felice Giuffrida, known for his anarchist tendencies, supported the need to take advantage of the situation of unrest to provoke a revolution on the island.
