as in rebel
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent
a firebrand who urged crowds to riot during the blackouts
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 firebrand
The memorial service for Kirk, whom Trump credits with playing a pivotal role in his 2024 election victory, is expected to draw tens of thousands of mourners, including Vice President JD Vance, senior White House officials and young conservatives shaped by the 31-year-old firebrand.
—
Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2025
That could be a problem in the GOP primary, particularly with residents who are used to Roy’s ability to weave in and out of being a conservative-libertarian firebrand and an intellectual devoted to the movement’s ideas and principles.
—Taylor Millard, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
The heavy concentrations of dead and down fuels will complicate containment efforts and provide sources for firebrands and ember cast when adjacent to control lines.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The third Knives Out entry finds the southern-drawler in a small town, where young priest Jud Duplenticy (Josh O'Connor) has just arrived to assist charismatic firebrand Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin).
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firebrand
Aamer Madhani, Fortune, 21 Sep. 2025
That could be a problem in the GOP primary, particularly with residents who are used to Roy’s ability to weave in and out of being a conservative-libertarian firebrand and an intellectual devoted to the movement’s ideas and principles.
—Taylor Millard, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025
The heavy concentrations of dead and down fuels will complicate containment efforts and provide sources for firebrands and ember cast when adjacent to control lines.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2025
The third Knives Out entry finds the southern-drawler in a small town, where young priest Jud Duplenticy (Josh O'Connor) has just arrived to assist charismatic firebrand Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin).
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 8 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firebrand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for firebrand
Noun
-
The rebels, led by Deepak Rauniyar and Binod Paudel, fired off a scathing letter to the Academy demanding a full investigation and threatening to blow up Nepal’s Oscar dreams entirely.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Directed by the iconic Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another stars DiCaprio as Bob Ferguson, a vigilante and former rebel who is on the run from Penn's Officer Steven Lockjaw.—
Rebecca Aizin,
PEOPLE,
26 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Country music’s premier agitator, Gavin Adcock, is also on the lineup.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
25 Sep. 2025
-
But while that may serve Natthaphong’s interests to appear as the chief agitator for reform, losing his military foil could conversely prove problematic.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Eide and other proponents of expanding hospitalization believe the administration could do even more.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
30 Sep. 2025
-
Closure of the bike path to undertake this project has drawn opposition from cycling proponents and West Sacramento Mayor Martha Guerrero.—
Ishani Desai,
Sacbee.com,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
America seems unlikely to be made great again by the demagogues of white nationalism, who cannot help but channel fury over irreversible decline at those who have been working hard, through either literal or spiritual immigration, to become American.—
Pankaj Mishra,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Our shrinking attention span has left us vulnerable to demagogues and misinformation from every direction.—
Doug McIntyre,
Oc Register,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has to approve many of those mergers—and Trump stacked the FCC with his supporters.—
Lizz Winstead,
Time,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Kneeling was widely used by protesters and supporters after Floyd’s death to signal sympathy with the Black Lives Matter movement and a call for racial justice.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
27 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The clearest example of this is Live Nation, the largest concert promoter on the planet, which is betting biggest on Latin America.—
Alex Ashley,
Rolling Stone,
25 Sep. 2025
-
The conventional wisdom, shared by event promoters and many at the university, held that the 1920s-era facility just wasn’t equipped for the demands of a big concert production.—
Brian McCollum,
Freep.com,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Farage, the forever insurgent, has always been able to avoid the choices that come with power.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
21 Sep. 2025
-
The film was released to relatively little publicity by Angel Studios, the insurgent independent production house behind surprise, Christian box office hits like Sound of Freedom and The Chosen.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
21 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
One overzealous protester attempted an unsuccessful knife attack on Welles himself.—
Marlene L. Daut
September 22,
Literary Hub,
22 Sep. 2025
-
Certain groups who face discrimination and harassment could level the playing field by recording their interactions with others, and at mass protests like the recent events in Nepal, seeing events from a protestor’s point of view could be valuable.—
Cortney Harding,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Firebrand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firebrand. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share