as in rebel
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent
a firebrand who urged crowds to riot during the blackouts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of firebrand
Like Bevan, Sheen is a Welsh firebrand unafraid to wear his leftist politics.
—
Alexander Smith, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2025
Labour has slumped to around 20% in recent polls, while Reform UK – the upstart hard-right party led by firebrand Nigel Farage – has surged to around 35%, the same share that Labour won last year.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
The clearest firebrand of the group is Suzanne (Mia Barron), whose patronizing politeness will eventually give way to rage once her views are challenged.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
That includes collaborations in-the-round with Denver’s Nathaniel Rateliff and DeVotchKa, as well as indie firebrands The Flaming Lips, in addition to standard orchestral fare and familiar classical-crossover acts such as Andrea Bocelli and Lindsey Stirling.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firebrand
Alexander Smith, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2025
Labour has slumped to around 20% in recent polls, while Reform UK – the upstart hard-right party led by firebrand Nigel Farage – has surged to around 35%, the same share that Labour won last year.
—Christian Edwards, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
The clearest firebrand of the group is Suzanne (Mia Barron), whose patronizing politeness will eventually give way to rage once her views are challenged.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 24 Sep. 2025
That includes collaborations in-the-round with Denver’s Nathaniel Rateliff and DeVotchKa, as well as indie firebrands The Flaming Lips, in addition to standard orchestral fare and familiar classical-crossover acts such as Andrea Bocelli and Lindsey Stirling.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firebrand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for firebrand
Noun
-
The apparent killing – captured on video shared online by the rebels themselves – took place at a university medical school in El Fasher in Sudan’s western Darfur region after the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) took over the city on Sunday.—
Ivana Kottasová,
CNN Money,
30 Oct. 2025
-
As regular troops in French service, the British treated them as prisoners of war instead of Jacobite rebels, and eventually repatriated them to France.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
As Border patrol arrested one individual, who actively resisted arrest, pepper spray was deployed spray to deter the agitator and disperse the crowd.—
NPR,
NPR,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Over a dozen agitators showed up to disrupt Sunday’s rally along Capitol Boulevard.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
An early proponent in the direct-to-consumer beauty space, Glossier entered wholesale in 2023 and has since expanded into key markets like France via Sephora and Space NK.—
Vogue Business Team,
Vogue,
4 Nov. 2025
-
The nascent market is currently led by the likes of Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation, and proponents say the technology can ease air traffic congestion.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In fact, the term itself was an epithet throughout the founding era, a way to describe ignorant and easily deceived popular majorities, perpetually vulnerable to demagogues.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
-
That’s in no way a movement that could sweep the midterms and then be harnessed by a charismatic demagogue to remake an entire political party.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Just hearing ‘set piece’ sends a shiver down Liverpool supporters’ spines.—
Andy Jones,
New York Times,
9 Nov. 2025
-
The new library would replace Truckee’s existing 50-year-old structure, which supporters say no longer meets the needs of a growing population.—
Daniel Hunt,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
In addition, famed promoter Don King signed her as his first female client in 1993.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
8 Nov. 2025
-
As a prize fight champion, Olympic gold medalist and now successful boxing promoter, Oscar De La Hoya should be the last person on earth who supports Jake Paul.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
That revelation prodded insurgents in British possessions from Ireland to Sierra Leone to take to the streets to assert their own ambitions for economic and political autonomy over the decades to come.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Ilana presents herself as a stout-hearted reformer who’s being targeted by fascistic insurgents but is secretly evil enough to engineer an apocalypse.—
Matt Zoller Seitz,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
After becoming an Internet sensation (and an art-world provocateur), the toilet moved to England in 2019, where a trio of thieves snatched it from the birthplace of Winston Churchill in a crime straight out of the board game Clue.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Curtis and Kirk were indeed to be found on opposite ends of virtually every hot-button cultural issue on which the latter made his name as a debater and provocateur.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Firebrand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firebrand. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share