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
  • Mali’s junta has accused Algeria of backing local extremist rebels who are linked to the Muslim militant group al-Qaida.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
  • That was the year the United States went to war with Spain in Cuba alongside Cuban and Puerto Rican rebels and in the Philippines.
    — Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of rebel
Noun
  • But Democratic leaders fear that the insurgent candidates risk blowing winnable races for Democrats with messages considered too radical for most voters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026
  • Across the country, insurgent candidates-—-perhaps most notably Zohran Mamdani in New York City—have found traction by presenting themselves as unapologetic fighters willing to challenge both Republicans and their own party’s leadership.
    — Nik Popli, Time, 8 July 2026
Definition of insurgent
Noun
  • The planned demonstration of force was timed to bring a fringe group of extremists into public view as the nation marked 250 years of its independence.
    — Odette Yousef, NPR, 11 July 2026
  • Labour lawmaker Jo Cox was shot and stabbed in 2016 by a far-right extremist, and Conservative David Amess was stabbed in 2021 by an attacker inspired by the Islamic State group.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026
Definition of extremist
Noun
  • Waymo then stopped the car and alerted the San Mateo Police, who showed up and detained the troublemakers, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page.
    — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026
  • This year’s milestone edition furthers that legacy by pairing foundational film voices with the next generation of artistic troublemakers.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 2 July 2026
Definition of troublemaker
Noun
  • The monarchy was overthrown in the February Revolution of 1917, and the tsar and his family became prisoners of the revolutionaries.
    — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 July 2026
  • The original Jacobins were the most radical faction of the French revolutionaries.
    — David Brooks, The Atlantic, 8 July 2026
Definition of revolutionary
Noun
  • Some brands offer not only removable orthotic insoles but also other add-on features like fitting spacers and arch boosters.
    — Cheryl Wagemann, InStyle, 11 July 2026
  • Blue Origin landed its New Glenn booster on an offshore platform for the first time last November.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026
Definition of booster
Noun
  • Reps for Jay-Z and Live Nation, the concert’s promoter, did not immediately respond to Variety’s requests for comment.
    — Jem Aswad, Variety, 13 July 2026
  • Trufero, the main promoter of this change, said the restaurant staff did not object to the ruling.
    — Sol Amaya, CNN Money, 13 July 2026
Definition of promoter
Noun
  • The ritual confers the Holy Spirit from one bishop to another and recalls Christ’s gesture to his apostles.
    — Jamey Keaten, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
  • According to the gospels, Jesus traveled here from biblical Galilee, while the apostle Paul established a thriving church here.
    — Jane Arraf, NPR, 23 June 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 15 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on agent provocateur

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about agent provocateur

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