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
-
Daisy is a young rebel, ready to fight viciously for the end of Gilead.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
The series emphasizes hope and the power of collective action, providing a nuanced look at both the rebels and the individuals within the Empire, ultimately highlighting the enduring relevance of its themes of oppression and resistance in today’s world.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That year, Ukraine elected a Western-leaning government, preceding Russia’s seizure of the Crimean Peninsula and arming of insurgent groups to occupy parts of the industrialised east of the country.—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Myanmar's military junta doesn't control the whole territory; much of it is controlled by insurgent groups and warlords; while Cambodian politics has been dominated by one family since the 1980s.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Associated Press reported that Algerian authorities rejected a Vatican request for Leo to visit Médéa to pray at the Tibhirine monastery, the place where seven French Trappist monks were kidnapped and killed May 21, 1996, by Islamic extremists during the country’s civil war.—
Paul Tilsley,
FOXNews.com,
12 Apr. 2026
-
The country is also plagued by fighting involving Boko Haram militants in the north, as the Islamic extremist group’s insurgency in neighboring Nigeria has spilled over into Cameroon.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The book looked at the world of Bad Bridgets, a swath of Irish women emigrants that were deemed troublemakers, noting that for a time Irish women outnumbered Irish men in prison.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
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When troublemaker Arlene moves in across the street to live with her father, Maria falls helplessly under her corrupting influence.—
Theater Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Thanks to a new English book from Boston playwright Kirsten Greenidge, the action is transported from France to 1776-era Boston where Massachusetts revolutionary and patriot Deborah Sampson has disguised herself as a man to fight for independence.—
Jed Gottlieb,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
-
These works follow aging revolutionaries who have given up the fight after being forced into hiding or choosing to raise a family; some have simply grown tired of the struggle.—
Boris Kachka,
The Atlantic,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The display includes rocket boosters from manufacturer Northrop Grumman and a massive external fuel tank from NASA.—
Malia Mendez,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
-
What are Great Salt Lake boosters trying to do?—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The Justice Department and more than three dozen state attorneys general sued Live Nation in 2024, alleging the US’s largest concert promoter and ticketing service illegally monopolized the market for live events.—
Leah Nylen,
Bloomberg,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Universal Pictures International is billed as the promoter of the event on the ticket site.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Leo’s visit, in December, to Lebanon, which is home to one of the world’s oldest Christian communities, dating back to the time of the apostles Peter and Paul, now looks adroitly timed.—
Paul Elie,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
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The washing of feet harkens back to how Jesus washed the feet of his apostles during the Last Supper.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Agent provocateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agent%20provocateur. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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