variants
also demagogs
as in agitators
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
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Recent Examples of demagogues
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
Does the rise of right-wing demagogues offer chilling parallels to the Pinochet era?
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026
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
Following the outbreak of COVID-19, bias incidents and assaults against Asian Americans soared to alarming heights as demagogues on the streets and in high office inflamed xenophobic fear and animosity.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
In the long term, this failure to address deep social problems contributes to the erosion of people’s trust in governments and institutions, breeding nihilism and an attraction to demagogues who claim to have easy answers.
—Rob Wolfe, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
Without a robust legitimacy narrative, demagogues fill the vacuum.
—Annelise Riles, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
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
Does the rise of right-wing demagogues offer chilling parallels to the Pinochet era?
—Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026
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
Following the outbreak of COVID-19, bias incidents and assaults against Asian Americans soared to alarming heights as demagogues on the streets and in high office inflamed xenophobic fear and animosity.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
In the long term, this failure to address deep social problems contributes to the erosion of people’s trust in governments and institutions, breeding nihilism and an attraction to demagogues who claim to have easy answers.
—Rob Wolfe, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026
Without a robust legitimacy narrative, demagogues fill the vacuum.
—Annelise Riles, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demagogues
Noun
-
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
-
The confrontation, captured on video shared by FreedomNewsTV, shows the agitators trying to stop vehicles from leaving Delaney Hall in Newark.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
-
De la Espriella, who has never before held public office, also promises to sever peace talks with armed groups and unleash a full-on offensive against rebels.—
Alfie Pannell,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
-
The Rosin Box Project, a collective of ballet rebels who dance en pointe to the beat of different choreographers, is inviting audiences to experience a before-and-after production this week.—
Marcia Luttrell,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
But for longtime leaders of education organizations and tech proponents, the book has become a problem.—
Tyler Kingkade,
NBC news,
31 May 2026
-
Whatever proponents call these statutes, the national effect is the same.—
Yaël Ossowski,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
The primary race has been described as a potential sleeper for progressive insurgents looking to build on the remarkable long-shot victory of Mayor Mamdani in last year’s race for City Hall.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
26 May 2026
-
The insurgents have frequently targeted security forces, government installations and civilians in the province and elsewhere in the country.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
In Strasbourg, groups of Palace supporters clashed among themselves in a square in the city centre, marring the occasion.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
New Hampshire, which rejected the DNC’s plan, held a leadoff primary ahead of South Carolina anyway, and Biden — who didn’t campaign or have his name on the ballot — still won by a sizable margin after supporters mounted a write-in campaign on his behalf.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
Nio signed on several brand promoters, including Robin Zeng, the CEO of CATL, the industry's battery giant, who affirmed in a marketing video that about 2,000 of his employees had bought Nio cars.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
-
Practical approaches to foster this connection can include participating in smaller club takeovers and hosting intimate pre-festival events that allow promoters, artists and brands to build direct relationships with audiences.—
Sunita Dhaliwal,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Noun
-
The 2026 midterms are already being shaken up by populist firebrands and antiestablishment outsiders.—
James Desio,
Washington Post,
15 May 2026
-
Since arriving on the scene almost a decade ago, the trio have presented themselves as firebrands, ready to stick it to an establishment seeking to strangle the last remnants of 20th century Irish republicanism.—
Dean Van Nguyen,
Pitchfork,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Demagogues.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demagogues. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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