as in rebel
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent
a political agitator who led an unsuccessful revolt against the government
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Recent Examples of agitator
On March 1st, the right-wing online agitator Ian Miles Cheong posted a video from a Dubai club where uniformed employees danced with sparklers and liquor bottles.
—
Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2026
Christian women wishing to reunite their families without calling for Hitler’s demise, or the release of all Jews, were harder for the regime to portray as political enemies or criminal agitators.
—Danielle Wirsansky, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
They could be trapped in the door’s rubber seal or under the agitator, for example.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Cabrera is accused of having a cockfighting training ring, a dead rooster in a cage, a rooster agitator (a device used to incite fighting), a gun, rooster vitamins, syringes and medication on his property.
—Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for agitator
Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2026
Christian women wishing to reunite their families without calling for Hitler’s demise, or the release of all Jews, were harder for the regime to portray as political enemies or criminal agitators.
—Danielle Wirsansky, The Conversation, 10 Mar. 2026
They could be trapped in the door’s rubber seal or under the agitator, for example.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
Cabrera is accused of having a cockfighting training ring, a dead rooster in a cage, a rooster agitator (a device used to incite fighting), a gun, rooster vitamins, syringes and medication on his property.
—Sofia Saric, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for agitator
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitator
Noun
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Julian is both old and a devout rebel, with a lifetime’s worth of wisdom, wit and burned bridges in his arsenal.—
Lindsey Bahr,
Boston Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
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Why isn’t Homelander lasering these rebels immediately?—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In the aftermath, Steyer and his rivals have been working to win over Swalwell’s supporters.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
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His supporters touted video of Stevens being booed at the convention, only to watch other Democrats openly resent the disruption — likening it to activists on the left who refused to vote for Democratic nominees in 2016 and 2024.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Does the rise of right-wing demagogues offer chilling parallels to the Pinochet era?—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
22 Apr. 2026
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Leftist demagogues specialize in lose-lose-lose policies.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But the resume this native of the central Mexico state of San Luis Potosí brought to the paper was that of a firebrand.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
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That would keep the seat vacated by conservative firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene in Republican hands, but by a slimmer margin than in recent elections.—
Brett Pulley,
Bloomberg,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Adding Bahrain back into the fold could salvage a sizable chunk of those losses, with the promoter fee for the race estimated to be more than $50 million, according to the note.—
Justin Birnbaum,
Sportico.com,
23 Apr. 2026
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Don’t look now, but Live Nation is shedding its low-margin promoter roots and emerging as a dominant venue owner/operator that increasingly commands the kind of premium valuation multiple its scale, control and economics justify.—
Justin Zacks,
CNBC,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But proponents see the redistricting push in Virginia as a necessary reaction after Republicans launched similar actions in states like Texas, North Carolina and Missouri.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
17 Apr. 2026
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While the proponents of this plan promise lower rates and more local control, the reality is far more dangerous.—
Chris Cate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Alliances with independents and provocateurs can bring younger crowds to the traditional news fold in an era when such viewership is not guaranteed.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
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For 15 years as a member of French psych pop provocateurs La Femme, Magnée and band members were walking billboards for retro chic fashion.—
Selena Fragassi,
SPIN,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But Fuqua’s Hannibal is recognizably Black—an African insurgent taking on a European empire.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Agitator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agitator. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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