as in rebel
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent
a firebrand who urged crowds to riot during the blackouts
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of firebrand
On the billboard is a photo of Díaz-Rosillo embracing the Argentinian president and right-wing firebrand.
—
Daniel Rivero,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2026
Here’s the liberal firebrand who wants to shake up Sacramento.
—
Los Angeles Times,
25 May 2026
Faye took office in April 2024 after winning a landslide election mostly built on Sonko’s popularity as an opposition firebrand.
—
Alexis Akwagyiram,
semafor.com,
23 May 2026
The town’s crises — chief among them rampant homelessness and departing film and TV production — have created an opening for Pratt, who emerged as a populist firebrand after his family’s house burned down in the January 2025 Palisades Fire.
—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for firebrand
Daniel Rivero,
Miami Herald,
30 May 2026
Here’s the liberal firebrand who wants to shake up Sacramento.
—
Los Angeles Times,
25 May 2026
Faye took office in April 2024 after winning a landslide election mostly built on Sonko’s popularity as an opposition firebrand.
—
Alexis Akwagyiram,
semafor.com,
23 May 2026
The town’s crises — chief among them rampant homelessness and departing film and TV production — have created an opening for Pratt, who emerged as a populist firebrand after his family’s house burned down in the January 2025 Palisades Fire.
—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
20 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for firebrand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for firebrand
Noun
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Well after the first Darfur war had faded from headlines, this duo continued to put down rebel groups throughout the country through brutal methods.
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Finding an off-ramp is increasingly becoming necessary for GOP leadership as House rebels threaten to shut down the floor in the absence of a path forward.
Noun
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The majority of speakers at Tuesday’s board meeting urged the board not to allow online agitators to dictate personnel decisions.
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In recent years, agitators have fueled anti-immigration street violence following crimes committed by, or falsely reported to have been committed by, immigrants.
Noun
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The expansion’s Council proponents have never really addressed this point beyond emotional appeals to the plight of overburdened tenants.
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The opposition vastly outspent the proponents, but analysts also attributed the loss to the lack of voter trust in city government, where years of fiscal struggles and bad real estate transactions have tarnished City Hall’s image.
Noun
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But those standards can be easily stretched by demagogues, and a simple majority on the committee is enough to ban a party, though a panel of nine Supreme Court justices can overturn the decision on appeal.
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But demeaning our brand through association with vulgar demagogues is a losing strategy.
Noun
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Some fans, including Scottish supporter Rory Syme, arrived early and gathered near a shopping center by the stadium while waiting for gates to open.
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On Election Day, Schlossberg was campaigning out in the rain despite the concerning polls, hearing stories from passersby about their Kennedy encounters over the years and taking selfies with starstruck supporters.
Noun
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As genetics, psychology, and neuroscience ascended, the twentieth century sent physiognomy back into disrepute, and today, from Lavater to Lombroso, its promoters may seem a racist shade of quaint.
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During The Huns’ audition at the Cellar, Nugent was standing next to club owner/promoter Paul Sampson, who was skeptical of the group’s Catholic schoolboy looks — braces, short haircuts and all.
Noun
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Gray is endorsed by Kansas City’s branch of the Democratic Socialists of America, and represents the insurgent left flank of the Democratic Party in the race.
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Out went what was left of country-club Republicanism; in came the Fifth Avenue insurgent and his MAGA hordes.
Noun
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Objection’s Founder and CEO is Aron D’Souza, an Australian entrepreneur and provocateur best known as the mastermind behind Thiel’s litigation strategy against Gawker, which involved a patient, extensive search for the ideal proxy plaintiff to sink the online news outlet.
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Wilde’s character, who is a boundary-pushing artist and provocateur, pairs the intimates with a matching swipe of red lipstick, black liquid eyeliner, and a black leather belt and skirt.
Cite this Entry
“Firebrand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firebrand. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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