stoke anger

USAGE SUMMARY

"stoke anger" is a correct and usable English phrase.
You can use it when you want to express that someone or something is making a certain emotion, in this case anger, stronger. For example, "The president's inflammatory rhetoric served to stoke anger among his supporters."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

22 human-written examples

Their stifled dreams stoke anger toward the government.

The New York Times

But the move served only to stoke anger over delays and cancellations.

The New York Times

The McCain campaign is also on the offensive in trying to stoke anger about perceived sexism.

The New York Times

Mr. McCain has labeled the advertisement an example of dirty tricks politics, hoping to stoke anger at Mr. Bush's tactics.

The New York Times

Still, Japanese officials in Tokyo expressed concern that the accident could stoke anger against the large American military presence on Okinawa.

The New York Times

In a sign of the choppy political crosscurrents, the Republican National Committee began running a new advertisement criticizing Mr. Obama, and seeming to stoke anger over the bailout plan.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

36 human-written examples

Should they be proffering consolation, stoking anger, preaching idealism?

The New York Times - Arts

All these actions have stoked anger in Mosul toward Americans and Kurds.

The New York Times

These injustices are stoking anger across the country, lustily expressed by Rick Santelli on CNBC Thursday morning.

The New York Times

The embarrassing discovery further stoked anger over the church and its often lavish displays of wealth and power.

The New York Times

Some Democrats accused the Republicans of stoking anger on the right with their fierce language during the health care debate.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "stoke anger" when you want to emphasize the act of intensifying or fueling existing feelings of anger, often in a deliberate or manipulative way. Consider the context to ensure the phrase accurately reflects the situation.

Common error

Avoid using "stoke anger" when the situation involves simply expressing or experiencing anger, rather than actively making it stronger. Choose a different expression, like "feel anger" or "express resentment", if the intensification aspect is not present.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "stoke anger" functions as a verb phrase, where "stoke" acts as a transitive verb taking "anger" as its direct object. It describes the action of intensifying or fueling existing feelings of anger. Ludwig confirms its grammatical correctness.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

92%

Formal & Business

4%

Science

4%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "stoke anger" is a grammatically correct verb phrase used to describe the act of intensifying or fueling existing feelings of anger. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is commonly found in news and media contexts. When using "stoke anger", consider alternatives like "fuel resentment" or "inflame rage" to fine-tune your message. Remember, the phrase is best suited for situations where the intensification of anger is a key aspect, rather than simply the presence of anger itself.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

fan the flames of anger

Uses a metaphor to describe the act of making anger more intense.

fuel resentment

Focuses on the underlying feeling of resentment being intensified.

inflame rage

Suggests a more intense and violent level of anger.

ignite fury

Emphasizes a sudden and forceful eruption of anger.

exacerbate frustration

Highlights the worsening of an existing state of frustration.

provoke outrage

Implies a deliberate action to elicit a strong negative reaction.

incite animosity

Focuses on creating or worsening feelings of hostility.

stir up discontent

Suggests a broader sense of dissatisfaction being awakened.

whip up indignation

Implies a forceful and manipulative arousal of moral anger.

trigger hostility

Emphasizes a specific action causing the start of unfriendly behavior.

FAQs

How can I use "stoke anger" in a sentence?

You can use "stoke anger" to describe actions or events that intensify existing feelings of anger. For example, "The politician's inflammatory remarks served to stoke anger among the voters."

What are some alternatives to "stoke anger"?

Some alternatives include "fuel resentment", "inflame rage", or "incite animosity", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "stoke up anger" instead of "stoke anger"?

While "stoke up" can be used with other words to mean intensify, it's less common and idiomatic with "anger". "Stoke anger" is the more standard and widely accepted phrasing.

What's the difference between "stoke anger" and "cause anger"?

"Cause anger" implies initiating the feeling of anger, whereas "stoke anger" suggests that anger already exists and is being intensified or made stronger. They describe different stages or processes related to anger.