AGITATORS Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

agitators

noun

plural of agitator

as in rebels

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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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 agitators Tibbetts wants fans to blame outside agitators for ruining the league's momentum. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Some of the speculation comes from state workers who are unhappy with the governor’s decision, the moderator said, but the subreddit’s activity also attracts outside agitators who are obviously not government employees. — William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026 Top-load washers with agitators or impellers clean tough fabrics well by physically moving clothes to loosen dirt. — Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 20 July 2026 Across the country, agitators on the left and the right are increasingly flirting with antisemitic tropes, conspiracy theories and in-jokes to bring in new followers. — Will Carless, USA Today, 10 July 2026 White attributed most of the hateful comments to online agitators rather than true WNBA or Indiana Fever fans. — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 The majority of speakers at Tuesday’s board meeting urged the board not to allow online agitators to dictate personnel decisions. — Ciara McCarthy 24, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2026 In recent years, agitators have fueled anti-immigration street violence following crimes committed by, or falsely reported to have been committed by, immigrants. — ABC News, 23 June 2026 Over the past decade, Osees have reinvented themselves as prog-metal warriors, hardcore agitators, and synth-punk freaks, investing each new permutation with the same degree of blitzkrieg aggression. — Stuart Berman, Pitchfork, 18 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitators

Noun

The 11-year-old Batisa said his parents and two of his brothers were killed in an attack by Congolese rebels.

— ABC News, ABC News, 19 Aug. 2026
The Houthi rebels announced a maritime blockade of the Yemeni government's backer Saudi Arabia -- which has led a coalition that heavily bombed Houthi areas throughout the war.

— August 18, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of rebels

Noun

Continue reading … DEM CIVIL WAR — Left-wing insurgents battle moderates Tuesday in races that could flip the House.

— , FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 2026
Relations between the Taliban and Pakistan — initially their most important partner — are tense, as Islamabad accuses Kabul of supporting Pakistani insurgents.

— Reuters, NBC news, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of insurgents

Noun

The government said Khan’s supporters had begun gathering outside the private hospital in violation of the court order, which required them to stay away from the medical facility to avoid inconveniencing other patients.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
Lindsay Clancy supporters rally for her as critics question where kids' advocates are.

— , FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of supporters

Noun

The faux outrage was egged on by professional right-wing provocateurs like Robby Starbuck, Benny Johnson and a leading investor in MAGA darling Steak n’ Shake.

— Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Global organizations navigate a complex landscape, prompting boards to evolve beyond traditional oversight into strategic provocateurs.

— Anna Marks, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Definition of provocateurs

Noun

Colón’s family filed a $50 million lawsuit against Ashby and the fight’s promoters for allowing the fight to continue.

— Matt Moret, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
The idea sometimes asserted by promoters that asset protection planning can allow a person to decrease their insurance coverage is false.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of promoters

Noun

As for the animal health risk, many proponents point out that screwworm made it into the US either through infested wildlife or via flies themselves while the border was closed to the cattle trade.

— Max Saltman, CNN Money, 22 Aug. 2026
Termini could not provide an explanation as to why proponents opted to revive an unrelated, inactive bill.

— Jennifer Van Grove, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of proponents

Noun

In recent years, totalizing ideologies such as communism, fascism, and Islamism have found dedicated audiences on social media, and the proliferation of demagogues manipulating people for malign ends is an ever-present worry.

— James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026
And as Netanyahu’s coalitions hardened Schleien’s programs became edgier, skewering Netanyahu sycophants in the Likud Party, anti-élitist demagogues, cultic settlers, and rabbinic mandarins.

— Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of demagogues

Noun

Luis Suarez was one of the instigators, spit on a Sounders official, and was punished with six-game Leagues Cup suspension, which means the Uruguayan forward is banned from the entire 2026 tournament.

— Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
It was said in jest, yet the sport’s most audacious instigators might take him up on it.

— Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 23 July 2026

Definition of instigators

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“Agitators.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agitators. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of agitators

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