as in rebel
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Recent Examples of agent provocateur
There is the buffer, the confidante, the agent provocateur.
—
George Caulkin, New York Times, 7 July 2025
But De Niro’s attempt at playing agent provocateur stumbled badly: His decision to stand outside the New York Trump trial cost the actor his credibility.
—Armond White, National Review, 5 June 2024
Members of the crowd accused Epps of being an agent provocateur, which later helped spur the conspiracy theories about him.
—Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2024
The Globoplay Original, produced by the company’s journalism arm, examines the lives of those adjacent to the faction through interviews with the contingents’ defenders, defectors, sociologists and an agent provocateur that develops carefully-orchestrated chaos.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 20 Mar. 2023
Anyone who maligns the sultan is immediately thought to be an agent provocateur working for the sultan, and probably is.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2022
The last dispatch from the alien/agent provocateur known as Greg Tate beamed out from perhaps his most inconspicuous dwelling.
—Tirhakah Love, Vulture, 14 Dec. 2021
At the same time, agents provocateurs played a significant role in the turbulence.
—Adam Hochschild, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2019
George Caulkin, New York Times, 7 July 2025
But De Niro’s attempt at playing agent provocateur stumbled badly: His decision to stand outside the New York Trump trial cost the actor his credibility.
—Armond White, National Review, 5 June 2024
Members of the crowd accused Epps of being an agent provocateur, which later helped spur the conspiracy theories about him.
—Justin Jouvenal, Washington Post, 9 Jan. 2024
The Globoplay Original, produced by the company’s journalism arm, examines the lives of those adjacent to the faction through interviews with the contingents’ defenders, defectors, sociologists and an agent provocateur that develops carefully-orchestrated chaos.
—Holly Jones, Variety, 20 Mar. 2023
Anyone who maligns the sultan is immediately thought to be an agent provocateur working for the sultan, and probably is.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 30 Sep. 2022
The last dispatch from the alien/agent provocateur known as Greg Tate beamed out from perhaps his most inconspicuous dwelling.
—Tirhakah Love, Vulture, 14 Dec. 2021
At the same time, agents provocateurs played a significant role in the turbulence.
—Adam Hochschild, The New Yorker, 4 Nov. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agent provocateur
Noun
-
The London punk rebels seized the revolutionary spirit of 1977 with their raw manifesto The Clash, then refined their sound with the flawed Give ‘Em Enough Rope.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Meanwhile, over in Britain, a vibrant antiwar movement brought on motion after motion in Parliament to cease fire and end all offensive operations against the rebels.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
While many are now driven primarily by economic interests, a subset retains insurgent, ant-imperialist commitments.—
Rebecca Hanson,
The Conversation,
6 Jan. 2026
-
That could mean tightening sanctions on remaining power brokers, expanding strikes against security installations and militias, covertly supporting insurgent factions, and using Maduro’s prospective trial as a global stage on which to delegitimize Chavismo once and for all.—
Robert Muggah,
Fortune,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In Africa, extremists exploit ungoverned water scarcity to recruit and control populations.—
Ian Bremmer,
Time,
6 Jan. 2026
-
The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil-rights group, has designated Tuberville as an anti-Muslim extremist based on past statements.—
Safiyah Riddle,
Fortune,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
His older brother, Leonard Kibrick, had played the main troublemaker in the series, giving Spanky (George McFarland), Alfalfa (Carl Switzer), Buckwheat (Billie Thomas) and Darla (Darla Hood) a hard time, before Bond replaced him in 1936.—
Mike Barnes,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Jan. 2026
-
Before Jackson's diagnosis more than a decade ago, Ferguson said, her son wasn't a troublemaker.—
Sarah Jane Tribble,
NPR,
22 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Her lead performance as Willa, the daughter of underground revolutionaries, has earned Infiniti nominations among multiple voting bodies including her first recognition at the Golden Globes.—
Jack Smart,
PEOPLE,
12 Jan. 2026
-
The daughter of a Marxist revolutionary, Rodríguez relentlessly defended the Maduro regime against accusations of drug-trafficking and election-stealing.—
CNN.com Wire Service,
Mercury News,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Maginnis declined to specify how many boosters Blue Origin has in production.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
-
To be where Tech means its president, its board, athletic department and a few major boosters are all coordinated, and agree with the other.—
Mac Engel
November 8,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Dead drummer Mickey Hart said at one point legendary concert promoter Bill Graham vented to him about the lack of catchy songs.—
Adam Levine,
CNN Money,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Mike Luba, promoter at Forest Hills Stadium and a member of the mayor’s inauguration committee, pitched in that maximum as well, as did the Partnership for New York City, whose leader, Kathy Wylde, has been a key ally for the mayor in the business community.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Grand Blanc attack was mentioned briefly on Saturday, Oct 4, at the start of the two-day conference by Elder Gary Stevenson, one of 12 apostles who help lead the church's 17.5 million members worldwide, almost 47,000 of them in Michigan.—
Niraj Warikoo,
Freep.com,
5 Oct. 2025
-
Nelson served as an apostle beginning in 1984 and became the church's leader in 2018.—
Mitch Picasso,
FOXNews.com,
28 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agent provocateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agent%20provocateur. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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