variants
also demagog
as in agitator
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent
that politician is just a demagogue who preys upon people's fears and prejudices
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of demagogue
That’s in no way a movement that could sweep the midterms and then be harnessed by a charismatic demagogue to remake an entire political party.
—
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
Their innovation is to replace the demagogue’s roar with the bureaucrat’s moral superiority.
—Alexis Coe, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
America seems unlikely to be made great again by the demagogues of white nationalism, who cannot help but channel fury over irreversible decline at those who have been working hard, through either literal or spiritual immigration, to become American.
—Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Our shrinking attention span has left us vulnerable to demagogues and misinformation from every direction.
—Doug McIntyre, Oc Register, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demagogue
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
Their innovation is to replace the demagogue’s roar with the bureaucrat’s moral superiority.
—Alexis Coe, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
America seems unlikely to be made great again by the demagogues of white nationalism, who cannot help but channel fury over irreversible decline at those who have been working hard, through either literal or spiritual immigration, to become American.
—Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Our shrinking attention span has left us vulnerable to demagogues and misinformation from every direction.
—Doug McIntyre, Oc Register, 31 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demagogue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demagogue
Noun
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But do the hierarchy want another frank agitator in Maresca, having been sufficiently chastened by Amorim’s semi-regular public declarations?—
Peter South,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2026
-
For top-loading machines, never fill laundry past the agitator.—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Pratt, who long cultivated a clownish and villainous persona, leveraged his significant social media presence following the fire to refashion himself as an earnest mix of citizen watchdog and populist firebrand.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Jan. 2026
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Do voters want another headline-grabbing firebrand in Greene’s mold?—
Greg Bluestein,
AJC.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Last December, armed rebels previously aligned with terror groups finally ousted Assad from power after a 14 year civil war.—
Lucia I Suarez Sang,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
-
There was a buffer zone where French soldiers were and then the north was held by rebel groups.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Dead drummer Mickey Hart said at one point legendary concert promoter Bill Graham vented to him about the lack of catchy songs.—
Adam Levine,
CNN Money,
11 Jan. 2026
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Mike Luba, promoter at Forest Hills Stadium and a member of the mayor’s inauguration committee, pitched in that maximum as well, as did the Partnership for New York City, whose leader, Kathy Wylde, has been a key ally for the mayor in the business community.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
9 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But proponents of the industry claim that the environmental costs still net out as a plus since the space data centers take processing off the fossil-fuel-burning grid.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
7 Jan. 2026
-
One of the biggest proponents of the capri resurgence, the supermodel has been making a stylish case for cropped pants since last summer—and her latest iteration takes the divisive Noughties silhouette into Italian girl style territory.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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At worst, the government has invited in a provocateur who will continue to spread poison and incite violence.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
30 Dec. 2025
-
This same climate, however, allowed for vicious attacks on a provocateur from their side who had just been killed in cold blood.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
21 Dec. 2025
Noun
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While many are now driven primarily by economic interests, a subset retains insurgent, ant-imperialist commitments.—
Rebecca Hanson,
The Conversation,
6 Jan. 2026
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That could mean tightening sanctions on remaining power brokers, expanding strikes against security installations and militias, covertly supporting insurgent factions, and using Maduro’s prospective trial as a global stage on which to delegitimize Chavismo once and for all.—
Robert Muggah,
Fortune,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
But this year should see the 564-foot-tall Tower of Jesus of Christ, the basilica’s 18th and final spire (the 17 shorter ones are dedicated to the 12 apostles, four Evangelists and the Virgin Mary), finished in time for the centenary of architect Antoni Gaudí’s death in June.—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
1 Jan. 2026
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His death leaves a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve that Oaks will fill in the coming months, likely by calling a new apostle from a lower-tier leadership council.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Demagogue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demagogue. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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