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
-
Winnie Cheung, United States, 2025 A motorcycle rebel spirals deeper into her erotic hallucinations in order to escape the grip of a sultry serpent woman.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
11 Mar. 2026
-
My mother was a freewheeling rebel who was far from being a caretaker.—
Via Scribner,
Literary Hub,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
That kind of chaos could easily spill over Iran’s borders, and not just by land; the Persian Gulf is narrow, and would not pose much of an obstacle to terrorists or insurgents who cross it in speedboats.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Paxton will counter that Texas runoffs often reward insurgents.—
Gromer Jeffers Jr,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Videos published by Islamic State West Africa Province showed massive weaponry and ammunition, as well as dozens of motorcycles and vehicles that the extremists said were captured during the raids.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Over the weekend, Islamic extremists launched at least six attacks in Borno and Yobe states and in the wider Lake Chad region, spiriting away trucks and military hardware from the bases, according to security analysts and security reports.—
Chinedu Asadu,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
And then there’s that bag stuffed with cash and drugs, the real troublemaker.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Their bid to cash in on the find quickly unravels into a dangerous pursuit, as smugglers and rivals close in and an unlikely band of companions, including a resourceful fish vendor and a volatile local troublemaker, get swept up in the mayhem.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Pat, not knowing about her relationship with Lockjaw, takes to being a father, but Perfidia pulls away, choosing to continue her work as a revolutionary in lieu of settling down.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The elder Khamenei was a genuine revolutionary.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The first-stage booster for the mission is making its 14th trip to space, and will aim for a recovery landing downrange on the droneship A Shortfall of Gravitas.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Once completed, Endeavor will return and stand upright, displaying the full shuttle stack including the solid rocket boosters and external tank.—
Sari Hitchins,
Parents,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Lindgren, the genial kind-hearted young hotel general manager who was the consummate promoter, had worked his magic.—
Bill Hancock,
Kansas City Star,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Two years later, promoters marketed confusing credits such as the Employee Retention Credit to businesses that did not qualify, collecting fees to file improper claims.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The New Testament canon usually includes 27 books, including the four gospels that describe Jesus’ life – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – and Acts, which describes the works of the apostles who continued Jesus’ ministry after his death.—
Christy Cobb,
The Conversation,
26 Feb. 2026
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This is the final day of Lent for Christians and focuses on the remembrance of both the foot washing and the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with the apostles.—
Chris Sims,
Louisville Courier Journal,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Agent provocateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agent%20provocateur. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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