as in proponents
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 instigators
There are leaders, lurkers, peacekeepers, instigators, and the person who only surfaces to drop an occasional thumbs-up.
—
Sam Reed, Glamour, 18 May 2026
All of that would be intriguing even if the founders of Deep Voodoo weren’t South Park instigators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2026
In 2001, the United States and its allies stormed into Afghanistan, aiming to destroy the Taliban and round up the instigators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
—Nolan Finley, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2026
The instigators were allowed to go beyond peaceful protests to hindering law enforcement from doing their job which escalated with the result of two people tragically losing their lives.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 1 Feb. 2026
Federal officials and the president himself were swift to label those killed as instigators.
—Dominik Dausch, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 28 Jan. 2026
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
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
Naming an interstate war based on the state in which the war is fought – while omitting the name of outside instigators – implies the culpability of that state.
—Esther Brito Ruiz, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2025
Sam Reed, Glamour, 18 May 2026
All of that would be intriguing even if the founders of Deep Voodoo weren’t South Park instigators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 31 Mar. 2026
In 2001, the United States and its allies stormed into Afghanistan, aiming to destroy the Taliban and round up the instigators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
—Nolan Finley, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2026
The instigators were allowed to go beyond peaceful protests to hindering law enforcement from doing their job which escalated with the result of two people tragically losing their lives.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 1 Feb. 2026
Federal officials and the president himself were swift to label those killed as instigators.
—Dominik Dausch, Sioux Falls Argus Leader, 28 Jan. 2026
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
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
Naming an interstate war based on the state in which the war is fought – while omitting the name of outside instigators – implies the culpability of that state.
—Esther Brito Ruiz, The Conversation, 5 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigators
Noun
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But for longtime leaders of education organizations and tech proponents, the book has become a problem.—
Tyler Kingkade,
NBC news,
31 May 2026
-
Whatever proponents call these statutes, the national effect is the same.—
Yaël Ossowski,
Boston Herald,
30 May 2026
Noun
-
Nio signed on several brand promoters, including Robin Zeng, the CEO of CATL, the industry's battery giant, who affirmed in a marketing video that about 2,000 of his employees had bought Nio cars.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
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Practical approaches to foster this connection can include participating in smaller club takeovers and hosting intimate pre-festival events that allow promoters, artists and brands to build direct relationships with audiences.—
Sunita Dhaliwal,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Noun
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Longtime forward Claude Lemieux, one of hockey’s fiercest competitors and greatest agitators during a memorable 21-year NHL career that included four Stanley Cup championships and a one-year stint in the San Jose Sharks organization, died unexpectedly on Thursday.—
Curtis Pashelka,
Mercury News,
28 May 2026
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The confrontation, captured on video shared by FreedomNewsTV, shows the agitators trying to stop vehicles from leaving Delaney Hall in Newark.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
Noun
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In Strasbourg, groups of Palace supporters clashed among themselves in a square in the city centre, marring the occasion.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
28 May 2026
-
New Hampshire, which rejected the DNC’s plan, held a leadoff primary ahead of South Carolina anyway, and Biden — who didn’t campaign or have his name on the ballot — still won by a sizable margin after supporters mounted a write-in campaign on his behalf.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 May 2026
Noun
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De la Espriella, who has never before held public office, also promises to sever peace talks with armed groups and unleash a full-on offensive against rebels.—
Alfie Pannell,
Miami Herald,
31 May 2026
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The Rosin Box Project, a collective of ballet rebels who dance en pointe to the beat of different choreographers, is inviting audiences to experience a before-and-after production this week.—
Marcia Luttrell,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 May 2026
Noun
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Just a funny parasocial back-and-forth between some of the most passionate fans in sports and one of the best provocateurs the SEC has seen since Steve Spurrier.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
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Alliances with independents and provocateurs can bring younger crowds to the traditional news fold in an era when such viewership is not guaranteed.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Both plans encountered staunch opposition from environmental groups and farming advocates and were eventually withdrawn.—
Paul Rogers,
Mercury News,
1 June 2026
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His experience highlights what many disability advocates refer to as the hidden labor of accessibility.—
Keely Cat-Wells,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
Noun
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The primary race has been described as a potential sleeper for progressive insurgents looking to build on the remarkable long-shot victory of Mayor Mamdani in last year’s race for City Hall.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
26 May 2026
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The insurgents have frequently targeted security forces, government installations and civilians in the province and elsewhere in the country.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Instigators.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigators. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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