as in proponent
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent
an instigator who always managed to be innocently standing by once the fighting began
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigator
Noun
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The legendary rapper was quickly cremated, which his mother was a proponent of, but Knight stated that Pac had different plans for his funeral.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
1 July 2025 -
Much like Gen Z, who are proponents of manifesting success, King agrees that there’s power in thinking positively.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
30 June 2025
Noun
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Longoria has been a longtime supporter of the Democratic Party and endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2024 election.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
1 July 2025
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Princess Beatrice is a longtime supporter of Sandro’s designs and previously wore a dress from the French label for an event in June 2024.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
30 June 2025
Noun
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His trajectory in the music industry went from concert promoter and artist manager to entrepreneur who launched Absolute Merch with no funding in 2012.—
Andrea Zarczynski,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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Just hours after tickets went on sale Thursday (June 26) for the legendary rock band’s 2025 stadium tour, promoter TEG Van Egmond has announced second dates in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane due to overwhelming demand.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
26 June 2025
Noun
-
Yemen's Houthi rebels, aligned with Iran, have continued to launch attacks in the region despite the truce, including previous drone and missile strikes targeting Israel.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
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Young-il manages to separate from the group and betrays the rebels, killing two of them and faking his own death.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Noun
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Higgins, a candidate for mayor in the city of Miami, chairs the County Commission’s Transportation committee and has been the board’s main advocate of the Northeast project.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
1 July 2025
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No serious advocate for diversity programs argues against hiring the best candidate for the job.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
1 July 2025
Noun
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Police officials said force was used only after a group of agitators began pelting officers with bottles, fireworks and other objects.—
Karim Doumar,
Los Angeles Times,
23 June 2025
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The Austin Police Department (APD) has released mugshots of eight people who were arrested after anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agitators turned violent this week.—
Audrey Conklin,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2025
Noun
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As immigration arrests have occurred across Southern California, demonstrators have protested the federal government’s actions and bystanders have sometimes confronted immigration officers or recorded their actions.—
Andrew J. Campa,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2025
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The burning of Jewish demonstrators in Boulder, Colorado; the killing of Israeli Embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgram in Washington, and the murder of 6-year-old Palestinian boy Wadea Al-Fayoume in Plainfield Township are equally tragic and pointless.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
27 June 2025
Noun
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The insult to business found its leader in former FTC chief Lina Khan, a 36-year-old populist firebrand who was an anathema to business and tried to check its every move.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
30 June 2025
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Former Trump adviser and conservative firebrand Steve Bannon told the Christian Science Monitor at a breakfast event on Wednesday that Israel can finish its task in Iran without roping in the U.S. military.—
Alexis Simendinger,
The Hill,
20 June 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Instigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigator. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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