provoke

The government's decision to raise taxes is likely to provoke mass protests.

(Chinese) 政府加税的决定可能会激起大规模的抗议。

Be careful not to provoke the dog, as it can become aggressive when it feels threatened.

(Chinese) 小心不要激怒那条狗，因为它在感到受威胁时会变得具有攻击性。