rag vs provoke

rag is a noun but provoke is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
rag	Yes	No	Yes	No
provoke	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, provoke is a hypernym of rag; that is, provoke is a word with a broader meaning than rag:

Other hypernyms of rag include beset, chevvy, chevy, chivvy, chivy, harass, harry, hassle, molest, plague.

As verbs, provoke is a hyponym of rag; that is, provoke is a word with a more specific, narrower meaning than rag:

rag (noun)	provoke (noun)
a boisterous practical joke (especially by college students)
a small piece of cloth
newspaper with half-size pages
music with a syncopated melody (usually for the piano)
a week at British universities during which side-shows and processions of floats are organized to raise money for charities

rag (verb)	provoke (verb)
break into lumps before sorting	provide the needed stimulus for
censure severely or angrily	evoke or provoke to appear or occur
harass with persistent criticism or carping	call forth (emotions, feelings, and responses)
play in ragtime	annoy continually or chronically
treat cruelly
cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations