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
Hong Kong — The judges in the trial of Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai on Thursday retired to consider their verdict on three national security charges that could see the 77-year-old pro-democracy firebrand jailed for life.
—
Chris Lau, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
Most frequently, the audience experienced Young tap his inner firebrand.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
Concerned about her firebrand daughter’s political movements, Rosa didn’t become an activist herself until her family was ripped from her.
—Sam Gillette, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Continue reading … MASK OFF – Scathing report reveals Dem firebrand terrorizes staff and doesn't come to work.
—FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firebrand
Chris Lau, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2025
Most frequently, the audience experienced Young tap his inner firebrand.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
Concerned about her firebrand daughter’s political movements, Rosa didn’t become an activist herself until her family was ripped from her.
—Sam Gillette, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025
Continue reading … MASK OFF – Scathing report reveals Dem firebrand terrorizes staff and doesn't come to work.
—FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firebrand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for firebrand
Noun
-
But in a region being fought over by a patchwork of anti-junta rebel groups, the military and pro-military militia – and given the widespread distrust of the Rohingya – information on where exactly his family are, or what will become of them, has not been forthcoming.—
Esha Mitra,
CNN Money,
14 Sep. 2025
-
By the finale, the galactic chessboard is crowded with players—emperors, rebels, prophets, impostors—but as Hari Seldon (Jared Harris) warned in the very first episode, the center cannot hold.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
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
-
The following day, Musk made a remote appearance at a London march organized by the far-right agitator known as Tommy Robinson.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
By removing the quarterly standard in favor of a semiannual one, proponents believe investors will get a management team that is more long-term focused.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Even so, proponents of speed reading programs point to data showing that students’ reading speed improves while maintaining comprehension.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Our shrinking attention span has left us vulnerable to demagogues and misinformation from every direction.—
Doug McIntyre,
Oc Register,
31 Aug. 2025
-
Because huge shocks to the system tend to empower either a) bold problem solvers or b) populist demagogues.—
Matt K. Lewis,
Twin Cities,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Participants are currently gathering pledges from friends and supporters.—
Nate Heinold,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Fields had plenty of supporters in the locker room and even on the staff.—
Dianna Russini,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The British band’s inaugural stop in Latin America on their highly successful Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour — which launched in Cardiff, Wales, on July 4 — drew a crowd of 65,000 fans at Mexico City’s Estadio GNP Seguros, according to promoter OCESA.—
Natalia Cano,
Billboard,
13 Sep. 2025
-
But major contract hurdles including race dates with the potential promoter, along with other issues will prevent that from happening in 2026.—
Bruce Martin,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Although some analysts have suggested Starmer may quietly be pleased with the resignation of his main rival and potential successor, the toppling of Rayner caps off what has been a dreadful summer for Labour, in which the party has lost more ground in the polls to the insurgent Reform UK.—
Max Foster,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
-
This might enable a mission which, for example, a Viper is located covertly next to a safe house known to be used by insurgents.—
David Hambling,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
On the other side of the barricades outside Roy Thomson Hall, Tarek Haj Ebrahim, another pro-Palestine protester, reiterated that the Canadian documentary was part of Israel’s propaganda campaign.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
-
One such incident occurred in the UK in October 2022, when a Hong Kong pro-democracy protester was dragged into the grounds of a Chinese consulate in Manchester and beaten, in events captured on camera.—
Sophie Tanno,
CNN Money,
10 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Firebrand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firebrand. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share