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
  • In one of the videos, the rebels were seen opening fire on some soldiers lying on the ground.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 July 2026
  • Many rebels believed the burden of repaying the public debt fell disproportionately on common people while benefiting elites.
    — Donovan Fifield, The Conversation, 16 July 2026
Definition of rebel
Noun
  • June’s primary victories by left-wing candidates in New York have been described as a political earthquake, with insurgent socialists winning races statewide, including high-profile congressional victories and nearly a dozen more downballot.
    — Danny Kaplowitz, New York Daily News, 20 July 2026
  • So far though, the prediction market insurgents have not meaningfully cut into sportsbook profits.
    — Bobby Allyn, NPR, 17 July 2026
Definition of insurgent
Noun
  • Rushdie has spent almost 40 years under threat of death from Islamic extremists after the Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against him, claiming Rushdie’s novel The Satanic Verses blasphemed Islam and mocked the Prophet Muhammad.
    — Matthew Carey, Deadline, 14 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, 14 July 2026
Definition of extremist
Noun
  • 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
  • She was cast as Athena, the class ‘troublemaker’ was Odysseus, and the school’s headmaster bumbled around, one-eyed, as the Cyclops.
    — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 17 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
  • For nearly a decade, SpaceX stood alone in its ability to recover rocket boosters after a launch and reuse them on subsequent missions.
    — Denise Chow, NBC news, 18 July 2026
  • Before another launch is attempted, Musk added in a follow-up post that two of the booster's 33 Raptor-class engines will be removed and replaced.
    — Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 17 July 2026
Definition of booster
Noun
  • No experienced concert promoter books talent by follower count.
    — Ramin Seyed, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
  • Plaintiffs alleged that the event promoters were negligent in failing to secure required permits, not providing adequate security or crowd control and misrepresenting the event as safe for families, according to the statement.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 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 22 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on agent provocateur

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about agent provocateur

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