firebrands

noun

plural of firebrand
as in rebels
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent a firebrand who urged crowds to riot during the blackouts

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 firebrands 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 An unexpectedly and profoundly unnecessary high price for the incendiary firebrands of the destructive new left. — Bob Ehrlich, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2026 Ken Paxton and Jasmine Crockett, both firebrands within their respective party primaries, are slated to watch results roll in just a mile apart in central Dallas. — Samantha Ketterer, Houston Chronicle, 3 Mar. 2026 Inmates including Sam Bankman-Fried and Harvey Weinstein have turned to such right-wing firebrands as Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens to present alternative narratives to their cases. — Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026 In the 1980s, right-wing firebrands such as Jerry Falwell and Anita Bryant claimed that the AIDS epidemic was a plague sent by God to punish gay people. — Hillary Rodham Clinton, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026 Trump’s proposal echoes a long-standing push by progressive Democrats and a few conservative firebrands on Capitol Hill to implement credit card interest rate caps, which would limit the fee a card issuer can charge consumers who carry a balance past their due date. — Sudiksha Kochi, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2026 While Collier and Stewart have accepted the duty to be labor firebrands, one of their UConn teammates, Morgan Tuck, is making her mark on the management side, as the youngest GM in the WNBA. — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for firebrands
  1. rebels
  2. agitators
  3. demagogues
  4. proponents
  5. insurgents
  6. supporters
  7. promoters
  8. provocateurs
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
  • Some of the speculation comes from state workers who are unhappy with the governor’s decision, the moderator said, but the subreddit’s activity also attracts outside agitators who are obviously not government employees.
    — William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026
  • Top-load washers with agitators or impellers clean tough fabrics well by physically moving clothes to loosen dirt.
    — Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 20 July 2026
Definition of agitators
Noun
  • 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
Definition of demagogues
Noun
  • But Zuckerberg might know something the measure’s proponents do not — or won’t admit.
    — Jared Walczak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 July 2026
  • The bill’s legislative proponents argue the measure is a win for taxpayers, citing reductions in the cost of homeownership while maintaining funding for schools and other essential services.
    — Abigail Hall, The Conversation, 30 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
  • Some Modi supporters have doubled down, however, with online activists aligned to Modi’s party seeking to identify protesters and share their personal details online to intimidate them.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • If the constitutional amendment passes, supporters hope to elect at least four conservative, antiabortion justices to the seven-member court by 2033.
    — John Hanna, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 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 faux outrage was egged on by professional right-wing provocateurs like Robby Starbuck, Benny Johnson and a leading investor in MAGA darling Steak n’ Shake.
    — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Global organizations navigate a complex landscape, prompting boards to evolve beyond traditional oversight into strategic provocateurs.
    — Anna Marks, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of provocateurs

Browse Nearby Words

firebrand
firebrands
fire-breather
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Cite this Entry

“Firebrands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firebrands. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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