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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
  • As Houthi rebels closed in, Eshraq Abdel Gelil and her husband fled their home, walking through the mountains before catching a ride to a nearby city.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Saudi Arabia struggles to rally support With the world’s biggest oil exporter under fire from rebels backed by the Saudis’ regional adversary, the kingdom needs a safe outlet for its crude as well as military assistance.
    — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of rebel
Noun
  • The festival was an impressive feat of planning and production, an execution of vision that may or may not translate into alternative, insurgent thought or actions.
    — Lauren Michele Jackson, New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2026
  • The insecurity landscape is also more chaotic because some groups, after initially being invited to help defend against insurgents, turned into terrorists, said Dengiyefa Angalapu, an analyst at the Center for Democracy and Development in Abuja.
    — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of insurgent
Noun
  • The caption on the video claims that a group of Muslim extremists kidnapped and beheaded a Christian man for refusing to convert to Islam.
    — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Dictators chose repression, extremists chose violence, and regional powers pursued their interests.
    — Ayman M. Mohyeldin, Vanity Fair, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of extremist
Noun
  • Speaking at the 9/11 memorial ceremony, the son of one of the victims, in an impassioned plea, called on troublemakers to stop using the day to spread Islamophobia and hate.
    — Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The alleged spending was so lavish that the judge overseeing Lam's initial court appearance in Miami invoked a famous Hollywood troublemaker after hearing a prosecutor describe it.
    — Stephen Sorace, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of troublemaker
Noun
  • The series follows an exiled revolutionary forced to return to Uruguay and confront his past.
    — Anna Marie de la Fuente, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The new Congress, established on the revolutionaries’ battle cry of no taxation without representation, also needed to pay the bills.
    — Lisa Mascaro, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of revolutionary
Noun
  • After launch, its booster separated, its wings unfolded, and a small turbofan powered it through sustained low-altitude flight.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 19 Sep. 2026
  • A lot of missions for a single rocket … SpaceX launched the mPOWER-F mission using the Falcon 9 first stage booster with the tail number B1080.
    — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of booster
Noun
  • Puth’s representatives and the tour’s promoter have not publicly provided further details about the cancellation.
    — Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 19 Sep. 2026
  • While promoters and venues wield great power over concert tours, experts say an artist of Sheeran's magnitude generally has the final say about what happens concerning the shows.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of promoter
Noun
  • In his first letter to the Corinthians in the New Testament, the apostle Paul describes bringing together members of the early Christian community across economic divides to share everything in common.
    — Shoshi Parks, Popular Science, 30 July 2026
  • 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
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 20 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on agent provocateur

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about agent provocateur

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