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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 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 Videos showed police beating back agitators with batons and deploying anti-riot ordnance as the demonstrators chanted against the country's conservative Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in a massive political rally. — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 4 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
  1. rebels
  2. insurgents
  3. supporters
  4. provocateurs
  5. promoters
  6. proponents
  7. demagogues
  8. instigators
Noun
  • Oil prices are rising after the United States conducted an 11th consecutive night of strikes on Iranian military targets and Houthi rebels in Yemen threatened to disrupt a crucial escape hatch for Saudi Arabia’s oil exports.
    — Arpita Dasika, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
  • Strait of Hormuz remains key A new pressure point could emerge for world energy markets as Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced on Monday a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia.
    — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of rebels
Noun
  • One of the insurgents, a doctoral student in sociology named Darializa Avila Chevalier, is far more emblematic of the DSA’s radicalism.
    — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
  • So far though, the prediction market insurgents have not meaningfully cut into sportsbook profits.
    — Bobby Allyn, NPR, 17 July 2026
Definition of insurgents
Noun
  • Some Modi supporters have doubled down, however, with online activists aligned to Modi’s party seeking to identify protesters and share their personal details online to intimidate them.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • If the constitutional amendment passes, supporters hope to elect at least four conservative, antiabortion justices to the seven-member court by 2033.
    — John Hanna, Los Angeles Times, 3 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
  • Four decades after buying his first ring, Goodall remains the man trusted by boxing’s biggest promoters and biggest stars.
    — Chris McKenna, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Plaintiffs alleged that the event promoters were negligent in failing to secure required permits, not providing adequate security or crowd control and misrepresenting the event as safe for families, according to the statement.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026
Definition of promoters
Noun
  • But Zuckerberg might know something the measure’s proponents do not — or won’t admit.
    — Jared Walczak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 July 2026
  • The bill’s legislative proponents argue the measure is a win for taxpayers, citing reductions in the cost of homeownership while maintaining funding for schools and other essential services.
    — Abigail Hall, The Conversation, 30 July 2026
Definition of proponents
Noun
  • 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
  • But demeaning our brand through association with vulgar demagogues is a losing strategy.
    — Alma Hernandez, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026
Definition of demagogues
Noun
  • 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
  • Heat coach Erik Spoelstra at the time downplayed the confrontation, with the Heat routinely making peace after acquiring former Heat instigators.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 28 June 2026
Definition of instigators

Browse Nearby Words

agitator
agitators
agleam
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Cite this Entry

“Agitators.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agitators. Accessed 4 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of agitators for Spanish Speakers

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