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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of demagogue
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
Without a robust legitimacy narrative, demagogues fill the vacuum.
—Annelise Riles, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Where is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Zohran Mamdani and the rest of the radical fringe left who take every opportunity to demagogue and slander Israel, and yet not one word about Iran?
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 8 Jan. 2026
In turn, the erosion of trust has weakened the social contract that sustains representative government, leaving democracies more vulnerable to populist demagogues, institutional paralysis, and the gradual normalization of authoritarian alternatives.
—Nic Cheeseman, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demagogue
Eliot A. Cohen, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2026
Without a robust legitimacy narrative, demagogues fill the vacuum.
—Annelise Riles, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026
Where is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Zohran Mamdani and the rest of the radical fringe left who take every opportunity to demagogue and slander Israel, and yet not one word about Iran?
—Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore Sun, 8 Jan. 2026
In turn, the erosion of trust has weakened the social contract that sustains representative government, leaving democracies more vulnerable to populist demagogues, institutional paralysis, and the gradual normalization of authoritarian alternatives.
—Nic Cheeseman, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for demagogue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demagogue
Noun
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The Lightning were without Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli, two of the main agitators from the first matchup.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
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Columbia students, along with outside agitators, broke into an academic building and temporarily detained the janitors inside.—
Rose Horowitch,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But Isaacman has also positioned himself as a visionary firebrand in the space community who is ready for change.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
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Many commentators viewed Gaetz as a firebrand who was temperamentally unsuited for that position.—
Austin Sarat,
The Conversation,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Daisy is a young rebel, ready to fight viciously for the end of Gilead.—
Yvonne Villarreal,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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The series emphasizes hope and the power of collective action, providing a nuanced look at both the rebels and the individuals within the Empire, ultimately highlighting the enduring relevance of its themes of oppression and resistance in today’s world.—
Hilary Lewis,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Justice Department and more than three dozen state attorneys general sued Live Nation in 2024, alleging the US’s largest concert promoter and ticketing service illegally monopolized the market for live events.—
Leah Nylen,
Bloomberg,
9 Apr. 2026
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Universal Pictures International is billed as the promoter of the event on the ticket site.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The proponents of this measure have even admitted unabashedly that this is part of a national effort to divide Coloradoans and drive turnout in the midterm elections.—
Mike Smith,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
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But telecommunications firms might still balk at furnishing the data for fear they might be sued, Section 702 proponents say.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The character of McCrum’s images is also quite different than that of the ones in the fictional Brainrot, whose sleek, sensual images recall the highly polished work of provocateurs like Torbjørn Rødland and Heji Shin.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
13 Apr. 2026
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Once, his Julian Sklar was the bisexual provocateur of the London art scene commanding millions for a single piece.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This long list of accomplishments doesn’t even mention her work with the Raconteurs, her co-writes with Guy fuckin’ Clark, or that one of her records (2013’s Like a Rose) is a stone-cold classic of 2010s insurgent country.—
Stephen M. Deusner,
Pitchfork,
7 Apr. 2026
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While serving a tour of duty outside the province of Kandahar in Afghanistan in August of 2011, he was ambushed by Taliban insurgents disguised in Afghan National Army uniforms.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Leo’s visit, in December, to Lebanon, which is home to one of the world’s oldest Christian communities, dating back to the time of the apostles Peter and Paul, now looks adroitly timed.—
Paul Elie,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026
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The washing of feet harkens back to how Jesus washed the feet of his apostles during the Last Supper.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Demagogue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demagogue. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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