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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Recent Examples of agitators
In January, a DHS official sent a memo to some federal immigration agents temporarily assigned to Minneapolis instructing them to collect personal information about protesters and agitators, including license plates, identifications and images, according to CNN reporting.
—
Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 10 June 2026
Shocking video captured the moments anti-ICE agitators were arrested outside Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey, Friday, during riotous confrontations.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026
Racial divisions around the case have propelled it to the national forefront, drawing the attention of both right-wing agitators and civil rights organizations.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 6 June 2026
The governor continued her call for peaceful demonstrations and urged outside agitators to stay home.
—Mark Prussin, CBS News, 31 May 2026
Longtime forward Claude Lemieux, one of hockey’s fiercest competitors and greatest agitators during a memorable 21-year NHL career that included four Stanley Cup championships and a one-year stint in the San Jose Sharks organization, died unexpectedly on Thursday.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
Asked about Valdez, Bis said law enforcement deployed chemical irritants including pepper balls, but not rubber bullets, after agitators attempted to breach the perimeter at Glass House Farms.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026
Instead of removing the anti-free speech agitators, UNLV police escorted Peer off campus.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 9 May 2026
Instead of removing the anti-free speech agitators, UNLV police escorted Peer off campus.
—Las Vegas Review-Journal, Twin Cities, 7 May 2026
Jude Joffe-Block, NPR, 10 June 2026
Shocking video captured the moments anti-ICE agitators were arrested outside Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey, Friday, during riotous confrontations.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 6 June 2026
Racial divisions around the case have propelled it to the national forefront, drawing the attention of both right-wing agitators and civil rights organizations.
—Matt Lavietes, NBC news, 6 June 2026
The governor continued her call for peaceful demonstrations and urged outside agitators to stay home.
—Mark Prussin, CBS News, 31 May 2026
Longtime forward Claude Lemieux, one of hockey’s fiercest competitors and greatest agitators during a memorable 21-year NHL career that included four Stanley Cup championships and a one-year stint in the San Jose Sharks organization, died unexpectedly on Thursday.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 28 May 2026
Asked about Valdez, Bis said law enforcement deployed chemical irritants including pepper balls, but not rubber bullets, after agitators attempted to breach the perimeter at Glass House Farms.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026
Instead of removing the anti-free speech agitators, UNLV police escorted Peer off campus.
—Editorial, Boston Herald, 9 May 2026
Instead of removing the anti-free speech agitators, UNLV police escorted Peer off campus.
—Las Vegas Review-Journal, Twin Cities, 7 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitators
Noun
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Analysts, including those at the ISP-M, say China has intermittently backed both Myanmar's ruling military, and the rebels that military is battling in the country's civil war, depending on its varying economic and security interests.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
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The celebratory tours take visitors through the city's historic brick roads and along the bayfront, uncovering colonial stories of East Florida's loyalty to the British, imprisoned founding fathers and patriot rebels.—
Amy Galo,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
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After Daft Punk’s rise from underground dance music heroes to chart-topping pop insurgents, Bangalter followed different muses in different directions.—
Andy Battaglia,
ARTnews.com,
8 June 2026
-
That legacy includes crushing both hyperinflation and the Maoist insurgents of the Shining Path, who bathed Peru in blood in the 1980s and 1990s.—
Simeon Tegel,
NPR,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Mexico supporters arrived at the stadium today in Mexico City draped in the national flag ahead of the opening World Cup match against South Africa.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
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At previous tournaments, some teams and supporters have appeared happy just to enjoy the experience with little hope of progressing beyond the group stage.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
Noun
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Just a funny parasocial back-and-forth between some of the most passionate fans in sports and one of the best provocateurs the SEC has seen since Steve Spurrier.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
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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
Noun
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The Buffaloes are, as promised by promoters, a power conference foe for the Aztecs in the inaugural game honoring San Diego native Bill Walton, who passed away in May 2024.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 June 2026
-
And not just us, but also promoters and agents who were willing to give us a chance.—
Selena Fragassi,
SPIN,
10 June 2026
Noun
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The surest sign bitcoin will never be money can be found in what excited its proponents on the way up, along with its critics on the way down.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
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Its proponents have turned it into a symbol of freedom and defiance.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
Noun
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But those standards can be easily stretched by demagogues, and a simple majority on the committee is enough to ban a party, though a panel of nine Supreme Court justices can overturn the decision on appeal.—
Bernard Avishai,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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But demeaning our brand through association with vulgar demagogues is a losing strategy.—
Alma Hernandez,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
Noun
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His climate policy push has generated moments of significant blow back from right-leaning politicians and outspoken members of the public, leading political observers to cast green policies as all-but-inevitable instigators of climate backlash.—
Justin Worland,
Time,
3 June 2026
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There are leaders, lurkers, peacekeepers, instigators, and the person who only surfaces to drop an occasional thumbs-up.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Agitators.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agitators. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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