agitator
noun
ag·i·ta·tor
ˈa-jə-ˌtā-tər 
: one that agitates: such as
a
: one who stirs up public feeling on controversial issues
political agitators
b
: a device or an apparatus for stirring or shaking
Examples of agitator in a Sentence
The police arrested several anti-government agitators.
a political agitator who led an unsuccessful revolt against the government
Recent Examples on the Web
Other protesters with a different agenda, or agitators of any sort, can insert themselves into a movement and use confrontational tactics like violence against property or law enforcement.
—
Jeremy Pressman, The Conversation, 15 June 2025
Tensions continued to escalate throughout the evening as agitators began throwing rocks at officers, and one person spat in an officer's eye, according to police.
—Audrey Conklin, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2025
The unrest in Los Angeles follows a pattern that has played out in numerous cities over the past five years in which protests that break out remain mostly peaceful during the day, but at night agitators engage in fiery clashes with police.
—Rich Schapiro, NBC news, 12 June 2025
In reality, agitators set multiple spot fires in a few neighborhoods, including downtown Los Angeles and Paramount, but the blazes in recent days were tiny and quickly controlled, in contrast to the massive wildfires that devastated broad swaths of Southern California in January.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for agitator
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Jeremy Pressman, The Conversation, 15 June 2025
Tensions continued to escalate throughout the evening as agitators began throwing rocks at officers, and one person spat in an officer's eye, according to police.
—Audrey Conklin, FOXNews.com, 13 June 2025
The unrest in Los Angeles follows a pattern that has played out in numerous cities over the past five years in which protests that break out remain mostly peaceful during the day, but at night agitators engage in fiery clashes with police.
—Rich Schapiro, NBC news, 12 June 2025
In reality, agitators set multiple spot fires in a few neighborhoods, including downtown Los Angeles and Paramount, but the blazes in recent days were tiny and quickly controlled, in contrast to the massive wildfires that devastated broad swaths of Southern California in January.
—James Rainey, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for agitator
Cite this Entry
“Agitator.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/agitator. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
agitator
noun
ag·i·ta·tor
ˈaj-ə-ˌtāt-ər
1
: a person who stirs up public feeling
2
: a device for stirring or shaking
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