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
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Recent Examples of instigator
Trump administration officials were quick to cast Pretti as the instigator.
—
Steven Sloan, Chicago Tribune, 25 Jan. 2026
The founder of the league, Windsor’s Tyler Ruff, grad student and the Huskies’ head student manager, is the instigator, agitator and original commissioner.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 23 Jan. 2026
Kelly, of all people, was the enthusiastic breeze who blew me over—a bellwether more than an instigator of my emotional state.
—Noah Galuten, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
From the instigator to the crybaby, everyone gets to partake in the seasonal chaos.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 25 Dec. 2025
Snowstorms are the most frequent instigators of massive flight delays and cancellations at the area's big airports.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Ruff thought the hit was high and also thought McCabe got his gloves off before Tuch, so the instigator was a confusing one.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
The Speaker instead condemned political violence in all its forms, while accusing the left of being the instigator of most political violence in the country.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 21 Oct. 2025
The team found that artificial sweetener Stevia, as well as compounds released by our own gut cells, were the main instigators in activating these gut phages.
—New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2025
Steven Sloan, Chicago Tribune, 25 Jan. 2026
The founder of the league, Windsor’s Tyler Ruff, grad student and the Huskies’ head student manager, is the instigator, agitator and original commissioner.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 23 Jan. 2026
Kelly, of all people, was the enthusiastic breeze who blew me over—a bellwether more than an instigator of my emotional state.
—Noah Galuten, The Atlantic, 4 Jan. 2026
From the instigator to the crybaby, everyone gets to partake in the seasonal chaos.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 25 Dec. 2025
Snowstorms are the most frequent instigators of massive flight delays and cancellations at the area's big airports.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
Ruff thought the hit was high and also thought McCabe got his gloves off before Tuch, so the instigator was a confusing one.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 26 Oct. 2025
The Speaker instead condemned political violence in all its forms, while accusing the left of being the instigator of most political violence in the country.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 21 Oct. 2025
The team found that artificial sweetener Stevia, as well as compounds released by our own gut cells, were the main instigators in activating these gut phages.
—New Atlas, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigator
Noun
-
Such markets gained popularity during the 2024 presidential race as proponents touted them as being more accurate and timely than traditional polling.—
A.J. Perez,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
The price of localized interventions at Thwaites, proponents say, pales in comparison with the price of building seawalls around major cities.—
Christian Elliott,
The Atlantic,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Savannah Guthrie opened the family’s plea by thanking supporters for their prayers before describing her mother as the heart of their family and making a direct appeal for contact, stressing Nancy Guthrie’s fragile health and urgent need for medication.—
Adam Sabes , Michael Ruiz , Greg Wehner,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
His candidacy sparked sharp divisions, with supporters portraying him as a symbol of stability and opponents denouncing him as a reminder of authoritarian rule and unresolved war crimes.—
Nic Robertson,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
One question has bothered Martin Ludlow in his decades as a concert and event promoter in Los Angeles.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Independent producers and promoters rent its venues for their performances and events.—
E. Andrew Taylor,
The Conversation,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
When John commands Cal to cut his long hair, Cal rebels by dyeing it platinum and trimming it into a chin-length bob.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Marcos briefly suspended habeas corpus and blamed his sclerotic economy on the agitations of leftist rebels, students, journalists, and preachers.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Elsewhere, law enforcement leaders, civil rights advocates and other legal experts have decried how ICE agents and other federal officers have been flouting best practices when making street arrests, conducting crowd control and maintaining public safety amid mass protests.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.—
Nature magazine,
Scientific American,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
According to an affidavit, agitators stole material, including personal information, from government vehicles in Minneapolis.—
Alex Nitzberg,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The longtime media personality took up his government post last year alongside fellow online agitator Kash Patel, and the duo had what must have seemed like a chance to act on their manifold concerns about crime and corruption, the Jeffrey Epstein saga chief among them.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
2 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Lowell said Friday that Lemon had been attending the demonstration in a reporting capacity and not as a demonstrator.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
-
Video of the incident shows one agent place his hand on another agent's chest and walk him backward, away from the demonstrators.—
Taylor Seely,
AZCentral.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
In 1988, when the Sun-Times sports section was seeking a provocateur, Boers was the choice.—
Phil Rosenthal,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
-
Local far-right provocateur David Pettinger attended the Wednesday hearing to air rumors that swirled online that the bill was backed by Israel, which is thousands of miles away.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigator. Accessed 7 Feb. 2026.
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