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 Houthi rebels have long been backed by Iran and reviled by Saudi Arabia.
    — Chris Lau, CNN Money, 26 July 2026
  • Further complicating exports, Yemen's Houthi rebels are now disrupting shipping in the Bab El-Mandeb Strait, targeting Saudi tankers and threatening an alternative oil route.
    — Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of rebel
Noun
  • The attack occurred in Mastung, a district in Balochistan province where separatist insurgents have stepped up attacks on security forces and civilians in recent months.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 July 2026
  • One of the insurgents, a doctoral student in sociology named Darializa Avila Chevalier, is far more emblematic of the DSA’s radicalism.
    — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
Definition of insurgent
Noun
  • More than four decades later, Kinnock’s actions remain among the most memorable examples of a political leader confronting extremists on his own side.
    — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
  • Lamb also swapped racist jokes with a border extremist in an online message exchange, The Republic found, and spent months launching a multimillion-dollar ranch business in Tennessee while running for Congress in Arizona.
    — Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 21 July 2026
Definition of extremist
Noun
  • In the movie, Broderick played Ferris, a teenage troublemaker who breaks the rules — and the fourth wall.
    — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 22 July 2026
  • Based on the true story of a reform school where Black boys went missing, the novel pairs the stories of two teens, one a troublemaker and the other caught up by mistake.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 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
  • SpaceX was aiming for the reusable booster to make a pinpoint landing in the Gulf of Mexico, but that part of the mission didn't go according to plan.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 25 July 2026
  • Friday’s test flight was the 13th launch of SpaceX’s Starship on top of its massive Super Heavy booster, and the second flight of the latest iteration of the world’s most powerful rocket—Starship Version 3.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 25 July 2026
Definition of booster
Noun
  • But this is a site that’s been fined for deceptive pricing and is not beloved by those who use it, with low customer net-promoter scores.
    — Diane Brady, Fortune, 27 July 2026
  • Joshua was discharged from hospital after two days but earlier this week his promoter Eddie Hearn told the BBC that in the early stages of his recovery, just a slight movement in bed would be excruciating pain for the boxer.
    — Sarah Shephard, New York Times, 25 July 2026
Definition of promoter
Noun
  • 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
  • The Camino de Santiago in Spain Blending history, spirituality and scenery, the Camino de Santiago leads to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, said to be the resting place of the apostle Saint James.
    — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 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 30 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on agent provocateur

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about agent provocateur

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