agents provocateurs

Definition of agents provocateursnext
plural of agent provocateur

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for agents provocateurs
Noun
  • For every cultural good, identity has become fused with the object of interest, turning previously normal people leading unremarkable lives into Steak ’n Shake beef-tallow purists, Harry Potter moralists, or cast-iron-pan-cleaning radicals.
    Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Now some Republicans are depicting the No Kings movement as a band of radicals, out of step with mainstream political opinion.
    Susan Page, USA Today, 29 Mar. 2026
Noun
  • In 2024, insurgents led by now-interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham marched to Damascus and removed Assad from power.
    ABC News, ABC News, 8 Apr. 2026
  • While serving a tour of duty outside the province of Kandahar in Afghanistan in August of 2011, he was ambushed by Taliban insurgents disguised in Afghan National Army uniforms.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • It was reserved only for slaves, criminals and political rebels.
    John Blake, CNN Money, 5 Apr. 2026
  • Following the events of A Palace Near the Wind, Liu Lufeng and her siblings flee the Palace for the dangerous waters, which contain rebels, allies, and her sister Sangshu—though Sangshu’s conflicting loyalties may clash with Lufeng’s plan to keep them all safe.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Violent extremists feasted on this great replacement propaganda, using it to justify terror attacks across the West.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Apr. 2026
  • Keep the pressure on every single one of these extremists.
    Bart Jansen, USA Today, 2 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
  • Iris Apatow and Costa D'Angelo are the latest troublemakers to stir the pot at Baird.
    Allison DeGrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Trump started his second presidency by pardoning the insurrectionists who’d wanted to unlawfully extend his first.
    Tom Nichols, The Atlantic, 23 Feb. 2026
  • People's Liberation Army troops under Mao's control either ignored the violence or offered support to the insurrectionists while the country descended into lawlessness and retribution.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 22 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Loners lashing out America has had genuine subversives and left-wing terror networks in the past.
    Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 27 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Woodstock gave its name to a generation, but the concert itself was a debacle that nearly bankrupted its promoters.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Neither the artist’s team nor local promoters have issued an official statement regarding the cancellation or the rescheduling of the Milan concert, or possible adjustments to the immediate tour schedule.
    Franchesca Guim, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Agents provocateurs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agents%20provocateurs. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster