as in rebels
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent
a firebrand who urged crowds to riot during the blackouts
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Recent Examples of firebrands
That includes collaborations in-the-round with Denver’s Nathaniel Rateliff and DeVotchKa, as well as indie firebrands The Flaming Lips, in addition to standard orchestral fare and familiar classical-crossover acts such as Andrea Bocelli and Lindsey Stirling.
—
John Wenzel, Denver Post, 23 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
But just as McCarthy’s picks were considered conservative firebrands, Moskowitz and Crockett are vocal Democratic members whose use of social media and outspoken rhetoric has earned them a high place in the party’s standings.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 8 Sep. 2025
John Wenzel, Denver Post, 23 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
But just as McCarthy’s picks were considered conservative firebrands, Moskowitz and Crockett are vocal Democratic members whose use of social media and outspoken rhetoric has earned them a high place in the party’s standings.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for firebrands
Noun
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Sudan’s army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who is also the de facto head of state, acknowledged the rebels’ capture of El Fasher.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
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The Romans were masters at using rewards and punishment to manage foreign states, from grants of citizenship to massacres of rebels.—
Barry Strauss,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
Noun
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And while some have crossed the line from peaceful protesters to violent agitators, violence already has ample legal remedies under state and federal law.—
Jason M. Blazakis,
Mercury News,
18 Oct. 2025
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The Boston Police Department said that agitators directly assaulted officers during the riot.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In fact, the term itself was an epithet throughout the founding era, a way to describe ignorant and easily deceived popular majorities, perpetually vulnerable to demagogues.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
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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
Noun
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And although the state Legislature has allocated funds for water assistance in the past, proponents for the new package say creating a long-term, permanent fund will provide Michigan households and communities with a sustainable way to ensure the tap stays on and water bills are paid.—
Arpan Lobo,
Freep.com,
29 Oct. 2025
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This was a momentous development for child-care proponents such as myself, who have long argued that wide-reaching free programs are crucial for parents and for a healthy democracy.—
Elliot Haspel,
The Atlantic,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has successfully recruited prized political heavyweights in key battlegrounds, but left-wing insurgents are threatening to dash his plans to create a competitive midterm map for Democrats.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
26 Oct. 2025
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The best challenger brands think like cultural insurgents.—
Erik Huberman,
Rolling Stone,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Trump’s aggressive second-term agenda has thrilled his supporters, but Democrats are hoping many voters see it as overreach.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
2 Nov. 2025
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Up in a second-deck corner of the GEODIS Park, in Section 233, a group of about 60 spirited Inter Miami La Familia supporters chanted and jumped up and down as Messi and his teammates took the field.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Volunteering opportunities across each of these platforms are as vast and varied as any other form of travel, from hostels seeking receptionists, cleaners and party promoters, to surf schools in need of teachers, to local families looking for childcare workers.—
Georgiana Ralphs,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
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Drake and Ross have been high-profile promoters of Stake, receiving millions from the company to engage in livestream gambling promoting the platform.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Dynevor, meanwhile, finds texture in a villainous role that rightly reminds us how petty personal grievances (on campus, no less) may well be the driving force behind the most outspoken political provocateurs.—
Manuel Betancourt,
Variety,
29 Oct. 2025
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By focusing so much on the Jewish people and the Jewish state, these provocateurs have a much broader goal in mind than merely ostracizing America's small Jewish minority.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Firebrands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firebrands. Accessed 5 Nov. 2025.
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