agent provocateur

noun

Definition of agent provocateurnext
as in rebel

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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 agent provocateur The Italian Marco Materazzi was an agent provocateur, tossing out words about Zidane’s family like a grenade set to spew forth a red mist. — Amy Lawrence, New York Times, 31 May 2026 And for good reason; Villanueva spent his four years in office more as an agent provocateur than a public safety official. — The Editorial Board, Daily News, 13 May 2026 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agent provocateur
  1. rebel
  2. insurgent
  3. extremist
  4. troublemaker
  5. revolutionary
  6. booster
  7. promoter
  8. apostle
Noun
  • The deal came as Washington increased pressure on neighboring Rwanda over its support for M23 rebels, a dynamic analysts say may help explain Congo’s willingness to cooperate.
    — Mark Banchereau, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The fun way to approach this premise would be to focus on the rebels.
    — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of rebel
Noun
  • Relations between the Taliban and Pakistan — initially their most important partner — are tense, as Islamabad accuses Kabul of supporting Pakistani insurgents.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 15 Aug. 2026
  • An insurgent socialist wing, led by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, has toppled several incumbent Democrats this midterm cycle.
    — Mabinty Quarshie, The Washington Examiner, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of insurgent
Noun
  • Spinks has spent years investigating and documenting nihilistic violent extremists and reported Spitze’s concerning online footprint to law enforcement.
    — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 20 Aug. 2026
  • With a real-world legal event like the SPLC indictment, extremists can point to government action as evidence that their worldview is being validated.
    — Art Jipson, The Conversation, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of extremist
Noun
  • In fact, in the early days of Trumpism’s rise the South Carolina Senator attempted to block it from taking hold of a party that, just eight years earlier, had once been helmed by Graham’s best friend and fellow Senate troublemaker John McCain.
    — Philip Elliott, Time, 28 July 2026
  • In the movie, Broderick played Ferris, a teenage troublemaker who breaks the rules — and the fourth wall.
    — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026
Definition of troublemaker
Noun
  • Centrist Democrats are not socialists, not revolutionaries, and not disposed to blame Zionist conspiracies for every trouble in American life, including police brutality and urban gentrification.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 19 Aug. 2026
  • To make matters worse, ten days later, revolutionaries stormed the Bastille.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of revolutionary
Noun
  • Today, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket is the leader in reusable space vehicles, with nearly 600 launches of boosters that have lifted off at least once before, and counting.
    — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 22 Aug. 2026
  • China has now demonstrated two different methods of recovering orbital-class rocket boosters.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of booster
Noun
  • Terrell, who is gay and doubles as a night-club promoter, brings in scores of drinkers to their perpetually sleepy pub, transforming it into Philadelphia’s trendiest gay bar.
    — Paula Mejía, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
  • The concert promoter’s local portfolio leaves a gap in the market for acts that have graduated beyond the smaller venues but aren’t yet drawing arena-sized crowds, Schalk said.
    — Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of promoter
Noun
  • In his first letter to the Corinthians in the New Testament, the apostle Paul describes bringing together members of the early Christian community across economic divides to share everything in common.
    — Shoshi Parks, Popular Science, 30 July 2026
  • Camino de Santiago blends history, spirituality and scenery on the route to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, the resting place of the apostle Saint James.
    — Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 10 July 2026
Definition of apostle

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Cite this Entry

“Agent provocateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agent%20provocateur. Accessed 24 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on agent provocateur

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