as in rebels
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 agitators
The Lightning were without Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli, two of the main agitators from the first matchup.
—
Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Columbia students, along with outside agitators, broke into an academic building and temporarily detained the janitors inside.
—Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 25 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
Both largely blamed outside agitators, noting that conservative influencers urged people to attend the meeting and several of the speakers came from surrounding towns.
—Sarah Bahari, Dallas Morning News, 16 Feb. 2026
This, in my view, would have kept these agitators away from ICE agents, and almost certainly would have prevented both deaths.
—Michael Zais, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
Training often involves role-players who pretend to be protesters or even agitators.
—Michael Abeyta, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026
Homan defended the work of ICE and Border Patrol, pointing to a decrease in agitators and cooperation from local officials as helping the administration reach success.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 13 Feb. 2026
First, there is the growing volume of anti-Wikipedia sentiment from right-wing agitators.
—Imogen West-Knights, The Dial, 10 Feb. 2026
Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2026
Columbia students, along with outside agitators, broke into an academic building and temporarily detained the janitors inside.
—Rose Horowitch, The Atlantic, 25 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
Both largely blamed outside agitators, noting that conservative influencers urged people to attend the meeting and several of the speakers came from surrounding towns.
—Sarah Bahari, Dallas Morning News, 16 Feb. 2026
This, in my view, would have kept these agitators away from ICE agents, and almost certainly would have prevented both deaths.
—Michael Zais, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Feb. 2026
Training often involves role-players who pretend to be protesters or even agitators.
—Michael Abeyta, CBS News, 13 Feb. 2026
Homan defended the work of ICE and Border Patrol, pointing to a decrease in agitators and cooperation from local officials as helping the administration reach success.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 13 Feb. 2026
First, there is the growing volume of anti-Wikipedia sentiment from right-wing agitators.
—Imogen West-Knights, The Dial, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitators
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
-
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
-
And supporters of the deal had to work hard to limit further defections.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Proponents argue the Huntington Beach model represents a replicable template for conservative resurgence in California, with supporters in other communities seeking to adopt similar policies.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Lost in all the heated rhetoric is the fact that so much of this turmoil would have been avoided if federal detainers were simply honored within local jails and state prisons — away from the public and professional provocateurs who are drawn to uncivil cultural conflict like bees to honey.—
Bob Ehrlich,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Mar. 2026
-
The pair of social media provocateurs post their bizarre arguments and interactions with everyday New Yorkers, which usually end with them being chased down the street and out of bodegas and residential buildings.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The issue of high concert prices is multi-faceted, and artists and promoters play more of a role than many fans want to believe.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
In response, ticketing companies introduced dynamic pricing tools that automatically raise prices when demand is strong, allowing artists and promoters to capture more of that value upfront rather than leaving it to resellers on the secondary market.—
Leah Nylen,
Bloomberg,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Known in research circles as authoritarian parenting, this style certainly has its proponents.—
Kelley King Heyworth,
Parents,
5 Apr. 2026
-
But for Project Plowshare’s biggest proponents, atomic excavation remained a worthwhile goal.—
The Conversation,
Fortune,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Leftist demagogues specialize in lose-lose-lose policies.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Certainly Arendt, who lived through arguably darker times, did not see them as merely a product of the era’s monstrous demagogues.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
All of that would be intriguing even if the founders of Deep Voodoo weren’t South Park instigators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In 2001, the United States and its allies stormed into Afghanistan, aiming to destroy the Taliban and round up the instigators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.—
Nolan Finley,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Agitators.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agitators. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
