as in rebel
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent
a calculating provocateur, she has made a career out of controversy for its own sake
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Recent Examples of provocateur
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.
—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
10 June 2026
The Human Is Staying In The Picture (Mostly) Screenwriter and director Paul Schrader, at nearly 80 years old an unlikely technology provocateur, delivered a talk at AI on the Lot peppered with pot-stirring takes.
—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
31 May 2026
If, for David Lynch, ideas are like fish in a river, then for Danish provocateur Nicolas Winding Refn, those ideas are like chunks of excrement in an exploded sewage pipe.
—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
19 May 2026
But the Fosters hosting a fundraiser for the reality-TV provocateur turned mayoral candidate suggests that stigma may be starting to erode.
—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for provocateur
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
10 June 2026
The Human Is Staying In The Picture (Mostly) Screenwriter and director Paul Schrader, at nearly 80 years old an unlikely technology provocateur, delivered a talk at AI on the Lot peppered with pot-stirring takes.
—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
31 May 2026
If, for David Lynch, ideas are like fish in a river, then for Danish provocateur Nicolas Winding Refn, those ideas are like chunks of excrement in an exploded sewage pipe.
—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
19 May 2026
But the Fosters hosting a fundraiser for the reality-TV provocateur turned mayoral candidate suggests that stigma may be starting to erode.
—
Maxwell Adler,
Vanity Fair,
13 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for provocateur
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provocateur
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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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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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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Stream-access proponents took a similar approach in 2010, after a landowner on the Taylor River strung cables from bank to bank to keep a rafting company from floating down.
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There isn't time for proponents to get a new measure on this year's ballot and state law requires any measures brought in odd years be limited to questions related to the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR).
Noun
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The Bongino Report, the website of the right-wing firebrand who would eventually serve a brief term as deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, claimed that Check My Ads was violating tax rules.
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Now, the right-wing firebrand has managed to win the backing of at least four billionaires as of May 6, according to the latest available election data—including the CEO and cofounder of Kalshi.
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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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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Prosecutors argued that Song planned an ambush with the intent to kills officers, while the defense argued that Song fired into the ground after seeing Gross point his gun at a protester and that the shot that hit the officer might have been a ricochet.
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According to an incident report from the Greer Police Department, an altercation broke out between an event attendee and a protestor outside the venue.
Cite this Entry
“Provocateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provocateur. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
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