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

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 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 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 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitators

Noun

He was convicted in 2009 of human rights abuses in the fight against the rebels, and later of corruption charges.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
He was convicted in 2009 of human rights abuses in the fight against the rebels and, later on, corruption charges.

— Louis Casiano, FOXNews.com, 3 July 2026

Definition of rebels

Noun

The establishment’s theory of the case has always been that popular insurgents are too risky, too unpolished, too outside the lane.

— Tad Devine, Fortune, 7 July 2026
Fujimori, 51, is the daughter of late President Alberto Fujimori, who governed the country with an iron fist from 1990 to 2000 and was credited with defeating Maoist insurgents and taming runaway hyperinflation.

— Reuters, NBC news, 4 July 2026

Definition of insurgents

Noun

While Rodriguez and other supporters have pushed to preserve the unit, critics of expanding Sheriff’s Office funding argue that the county should instead invest in social and community services.

— Reeti Malhotra July 13, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
Opposing fans and supporters alike have hurled racist abuse at Mbappé.

— Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 13 July 2026

Definition of supporters

Noun

Global organizations navigate a complex landscape, prompting boards to evolve beyond traditional oversight into strategic provocateurs.

— Anna Marks, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
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

Definition of provocateurs

Noun

Veteran rave promoters envision Origin as a 1,000-capacity, Blade Runner–style warehouse with modular patio stages, offering daytime community events that transition into intimate Afro-house and hard-rave nights.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Gálvez promoters also want all Americans to see his army as a symbol of the promise of our multiracial democracy.

— Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026

Definition of promoters

Noun

Some proponents of the tax had criticized the bill as a compromise measure that leaves the difficult political decision of whether to enact a tax for the next governor and Legislature.

— Naomi Taxay, Sacbee.com, 10 July 2026
Their proponents argued that taking action on immigration was popular in the state, though all but one of their bills failed.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 10 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

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
The parents, arguably the film’s first instigators, operate based off fear of their children’s sexuality.

— Arushi Jacob, Variety, 19 June 2026

Definition of instigators

Browse Nearby Words

agitator

agitators

agleam

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Agitators.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agitators. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of agitators

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on agitators

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

yaw

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes