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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for demagogues
  1. agitators
  2. rebels
  3. proponents
  4. insurgents
  5. supporters
  6. promoters
  7. firebrands
  8. provocateurs
Noun
  • Across the country, agitators on the left and the right are increasingly flirting with antisemitic tropes, conspiracy theories and in-jokes to bring in new followers.
    — Will Carless, USA Today, 10 July 2026
  • Videos showed police beating back agitators with batons and deploying anti-riot ordnance as the demonstrators chanted against the country's conservative Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in a massive political rally.
    — Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2026
Definition of agitators
Noun
  • Oil prices are rising after the United States conducted an 11th consecutive night of strikes on Iranian military targets and Houthi rebels in Yemen threatened to disrupt a crucial escape hatch for Saudi Arabia’s oil exports.
    — Arpita Dasika, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
  • Strait of Hormuz remains key A new pressure point could emerge for world energy markets as Yemen’s Houthi rebels announced on Monday a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia.
    — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of rebels
Noun
  • Trump’s proponents may argue these definitions are ageing, and precedents have been set in recent years that leave the battlefield a wholly more callous place.
    — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 17 July 2026
  • Among Miami’s billionaires, Griffin has become one of the city’s most vocal proponents.
    — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
Definition of proponents
Noun
  • One of the insurgents, a doctoral student in sociology named Darializa Avila Chevalier, is far more emblematic of the DSA’s radicalism.
    — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 21 July 2026
  • So far though, the prediction market insurgents have not meaningfully cut into sportsbook profits.
    — Bobby Allyn, NPR, 17 July 2026
Definition of insurgents
Noun
  • Video from Reuters shows Houthi supporters in Yemen gathering in the capital Sanaa on Monday night praising the naval blockade.
    — Jomana Karadsheh, CNN Money, 21 July 2026
  • Each was cast as the antagonist in the game that saw England’s exit, prompting invective from rival supporters on their return and a siege mentality in Manchester.
    — Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 21 July 2026
Definition of supporters
Noun
  • Four decades after buying his first ring, Goodall remains the man trusted by boxing’s biggest promoters and biggest stars.
    — Chris McKenna, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Plaintiffs alleged that the event promoters were negligent in failing to secure required permits, not providing adequate security or crowd control and misrepresenting the event as safe for families, according to the statement.
    — Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026
Definition of promoters
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
Definition of firebrands
Noun
  • Global organizations navigate a complex landscape, prompting boards to evolve beyond traditional oversight into strategic provocateurs.
    — Anna Marks, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • 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
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 23 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on demagogues

Nglish: Translation of demagogues for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of maverick

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

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

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
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
thumbnail graphic with text word of the day quiz
Weekly "Word of the Day" Quiz See how well you know each Word of the Day for Ju...
See All