demagogues

noun

variants also demagogs
plural of demagogue
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

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 demagogues Unsheltered intertwined two plots related to the precarity of American life and the danger of demagogues—one set at the dawn of the MAGA era. — Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026 Unsheltered intertwined two plots related to the precarity of American life and the danger of demagogues — one set at the dawn of the MAGA era. — Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026 This included understanding the history of democratic ideas and practical governance, as well as the need to protect minority groups and the dangers posed by demagogues. — Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 1 Sep. 2026 In recent years, totalizing ideologies such as communism, fascism, and Islamism have found dedicated audiences on social media, and the proliferation of demagogues manipulating people for malign ends is an ever-present worry. — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026 And as Netanyahu’s coalitions hardened Schleien’s programs became edgier, skewering Netanyahu sycophants in the Likud Party, anti-élitist demagogues, cultic settlers, and rabbinic mandarins. — Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demagogues
  1. agitators
  2. rebels
  3. proponents
  4. insurgents
  5. supporters
  6. promoters
  7. firebrands
  8. provocateurs
Noun
  • The legal defense army The Left developed a legal advocacy network to support street agitators well before 2020.
    — Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 9 Nov. 2026
  • Coolly, Violet responds that to avoid alarming the public, a few agitators have beenneutralized—now there’s a sticky euphemism—and their deaths passed off as revenge killings among drug traffickers.
    — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of agitators
Noun
  • The rebels made a lightning advance capturing much of Yemen's Red Sea coast and strategic islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
    — AHMED HATEM, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry rejected similar Sudanese accusations in a May 5 statement, calling them baseless, and accused Sudan of supporting rebels in its northern Tigray region.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of rebels
Noun
  • Artificial intelligence stocks came under pressure overnight as Democrats — seen as proponents of data center moratoriums — won big in midterm elections in key data center hubs.
    — Spencer Kimball,Garrett Downs,Dan Mangan,Kevin Breuninger,Justin Papp, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
  • In the run-up to the midterm election Tuesday, proponents said the property tax amendment would help people stay in their homes and would ease the burden on homeowners.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of proponents
Noun
  • Polling averages put Democratic insurgents narrowly ahead or virtually tied with GOP rivals in all the states.
    — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Will the Democrats have to contend with left-wing insurgents like Republicans did the Tea Party?
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of insurgents
Noun
  • Transgender-rights supporters marched through downtown Seattle Thursday after Washington voters approved a measure barring biological males from girls’ K–12 interscholastic sports, setting up a potential court battle over the new restrictions.
    — Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026
  • That moment encapsulated the night between Brooks and his supporters.
    — Rashad Alexander November 7, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of supporters
Noun
  • Sheeran has said his promoters made the decision, according to the BBC.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Sheeran argued that the decision to remove Macklemore as an opener, backed by the venues and promoters, came down to not wanting to disappoint fans or impact the other people working on the tour by cancelling.
    — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of promoters
Noun
  • The Republican losses indiscriminately wiped out GOP firebrands, moderates and veteran conservatives nationwide.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The most glaring is the contrast between majoritarian consensus builders on one hand and the party's firebrands on the left.
    — Ron Elving, NPR, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of firebrands
Noun
  • Feigenbaum offered a more cautious interpretation, describing some of the violent perpetrators as fringe provocateurs who exploit broader demonstrations without necessarily directing them.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Hilton’s edgy attitude and pugnacious put-downs would place him right at home among the network’s collection of trolls, provocateurs and Democrat-bashing gargoyles.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of provocateurs

Browse Nearby Words

demagogue
demagogues
demand
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Demagogues.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demagogues. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of valorous

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All