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
When the populist demagogue Willie Stark orders Burden, journalist turned gumshoe, to dig up dirt on a local judge, Burden demurs; certainly there are no skeletons in the office of the good judge.
—
Brenda Wineapple, The New York Review of Books, 4 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
The 2026 State of the Union speech stands in contrast, a speech by a mendacious demagogue who has degraded his listeners by debauching their instincts.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demagogue
Brenda Wineapple, The New York Review of Books, 4 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
The 2026 State of the Union speech stands in contrast, a speech by a mendacious demagogue who has degraded his listeners by debauching their instincts.
—Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for demagogue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demagogue
Noun
-
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
-
Cars pushed through the crowd, hitting at least one person as agitators continued banging, kicking and blocking government vehicles.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Before releasing his own albums, Ulmer played electric guitar in free-jazz firebrand Ornette Coleman’s Prime Time touring ensemble.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
9 June 2026
-
More screen time is given over to her burgeoning friendship with firebrand suffragette Mary, played by singer Lily Allen in a deliberately anachronistic performance — her forthright speech and manner beamed in directly from the 21st century.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Analysts, including those at the ISP-M, say China has intermittently backed both Myanmar's ruling military, and the rebels that military is battling in the country's civil war, depending on its varying economic and security interests.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
-
The celebratory tours take visitors through the city's historic brick roads and along the bayfront, uncovering colonial stories of East Florida's loyalty to the British, imprisoned founding fathers and patriot rebels.—
Amy Galo,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Gather Honest Outside Feedback Have a third party contact your customers at key intervals and capture their net promoter score.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
The Buffaloes are, as promised by promoters, a power conference foe for the Aztecs in the inaugural game honoring San Diego native Bill Walton, who passed away in May 2024.—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
This new age of beauty, proponents said, is about keeping your skin fresh in the long term rather than freaking about the appearance of aging in the present.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
-
The Legislature passed a suite of housing bills this session to override local zoning rules that proponents argued contributed to the state’s affordability woes, the Idaho Statesman previously reported.—
Rose Evans
June 6,
Idaho Statesman,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
Some of it was sought-after — Levinson is a provocateur, and his courting of controversy has earned the series nine Emmy wins and far more nominations.—
Seija Rankin,
HollywoodReporter,
31 May 2026
-
The Human Is Staying In The Picture (Mostly) Screenwriter and director Paul Schrader, at nearly 80 years old an unlikely technology provocateur, delivered a talk at AI on the Lot peppered with pot-stirring takes.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
The outbreak, reported in 14 of Borno state’s 27 local governments, is unfolding in communities with health systems made fragile by nearly two decades of violent extremism from the Boko Haram insurgent group.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
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After Daft Punk’s rise from underground dance music heroes to chart-topping pop insurgents, Bangalter followed different muses in different directions.—
Andy Battaglia,
ARTnews.com,
8 June 2026
Noun
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With its brilliant white surface reflecting the searing Spanish sun, the cross that crowns the Tower of Jesus Christ (the other 17 towers are dedicated to the 12 apostles, four Evangelists and the Virgin Mary) is as tall as a five-story building and weighs around 100 tons.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
8 June 2026
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The 500-plus-mile (805 km) pilgrimage trail has a 1,000-year history and leads to the tomb of the apostle Saint James at the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demagogue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demagogue. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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