AGITATOR Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

agitator

noun

ˈa-jə-ˌtā-tər

Definition of agitator

as in rebel

a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent a political agitator who led an unsuccessful revolt against the government

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 agitator In Portsmouth, a group of far-right agitators first attempted to stop lifeboats from bringing the migrants onshore before seeking to block buses from taking the asylum seekers to a processing facility. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2026 Connor Clattenburg is a throwback player who can play agitator and enforcer and chip in with goals. — Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026 Now, Bartko fears death in a Kansas prison cell or deportation to Belarus, where her friends have been prosecuted as political agitators. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026 For several years before the IAU vote, there had been agitators among the astronomical community lobbying for our solar system's nine worlds to become eight, and for Pluto's planetary status to be revoked. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for agitator

Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitator

Noun

The latest conflict between the Saudis and the Houthis began last month after the rebels seized key areas along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical waterway for oil shipments.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026
The latest conflict between the Saudis and the Houthis began last month after the rebels seized key areas along the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical waterway for Gulf oil shipments.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of rebel

Noun

Even some supporters of capital punishment, including a number of Republican lawmakers, seemed repelled by the prospect.

— Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026
The bottom line of Milton Friedman and other supporters of neoliberalism was that there has to be effective competition, there has to be open entry.

— John E. McDonough, STAT, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of supporter

Noun

Unsheltered intertwined two plots related to the precarity of American life and the danger of demagogues—one set at the dawn of the MAGA era.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
Unsheltered intertwined two plots related to the precarity of American life and the danger of demagogues — one set at the dawn of the MAGA era.

— Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of demagogue

Noun

The ultra-nationalist party is led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right firebrand once deemed too extreme to serve in Israel’s military.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Cruz, a conservative firebrand, is trying to rally the party’s base in a year where Republicans fear many of their voters will stay home.

— Matthew Choi, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of firebrand

Noun

Last year, the company dipped its toes into the live events world, serving as the promoter for boy group P1Harmony’s tour — the boy group is slated to perform Saturday at 82World.

— Nicole Fell, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Before long, a promoter recruited her for his stable of touring female wrestlers.

— Leslie Camhi, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of promoter

Noun

One of the leading proponents of an energy-centric view of disease is Martin Picard, a biologist who directs the Mitochondrial Psychobiology Group at Columbia University.

— Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
The No campaign accused measure proponents of misusing the state office.

— Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of proponent

Noun

Feigenbaum offered a more cautious interpretation, describing some of the violent perpetrators as fringe provocateurs who exploit broader demonstrations without necessarily directing them.

— Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Mungiu’s prickly, nonjudgmental studies of human behavior have sometimes led him to be branded as a provocateur.

— Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of provocateur

Noun

Raman, who now occupies the insurgent role in the race, seemed to see the fires less as an indictment of the system than of Bass.

— Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Rwanda has acknowledged defensive â€œsecurity coordinationâ€� with the M23 insurgents, who have held large swaths of mineral-rich eastern DR Congo for more than a year.

— Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of insurgent

Browse Nearby Words

agitational

agitator

agitators

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Agitator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agitator. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of agitator

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

asunder

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 23

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes