as in rebel
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
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
-
The mineral-rich eastern Congo has been battered by decades of unrest as government forces fight more than 100 armed groups, the most potent the M23 rebel group backed by Rwanda.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Ai, a Chinese Vietnamese American filmmaker and writer, focuses on rebels and outsiders of mainstream culture.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
To Alfredo De Avila, of the Oakland Center for Third World Organizing, the UFW’s claims that Communist insurgents are plotting against Chavez and his union highlight how far the UFW has fallen.—
Marcos Breton,
Sacbee.com,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Bakri is more brittle in Farah Nabulsi’s The Teacher as Basem, a Palestinian teacher in the West Bank whose support for insurgents grows after his own son dies in prison and as Israeli settlers brutalize his neighborhood.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Just as former gang members serve as effective anti-gang advocates, former extremists work with those who either volunteer to leave or have been court-mandated to go through deradicalization.—
Natalie Eilbert,
jsonline.com,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Kent, a former Green Beret and political candidate with connections to right-wing extremists, was confirmed in July on a 52-44 vote.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
18 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Climate troublemaker El Niño can cause heat waves, droughts and flooding around the world.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
On the left, Anderson trots out stock characters — the oversexed Black woman revolutionary, Leo’s cuckolded white stoner, doctrinaire newcomers — from a Bob Hope skit about hippies.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
-
The 25-year-old Indianapolis native plays Willa, the daughter of former revolutionaries DiCaprio and Taylor, who goes on the lam when unsavory characters from her parents’ past attempt to track her down.—
Heather Bushman,
IndyStar,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The Big Ten alone sent six teams to the Sweet 16, meaning the financial stakes for some of the country’s wealthiest athletic boosters have never been higher.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The booster made its 10th flight.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The trade association represents more than 1,400 independent venues, festivals, promoters and presenters across the country.—
Gabriella Fine,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Kent, a promoter of far-right conspiracy theories whom the Senate narrowly confirmed for the director role last July, accused the president of being deceived by Israel into supporting the war.—
Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Anglo‑Saxon England converted to Christianity over the seventh century, so some of the charms included appeals to Jesus, Mary, and the apostles.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Agent provocateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agent%20provocateur. Accessed 25 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
