as in proponent
a person who actively supports or favors a cause
Milton Friedman is usually cited as the leading American protagonist of monetarism
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of protagonist
And for the protagonist, Sara, things are about to get a lot more serious.
—
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
Margarita Khemlin lets go of her characters on a concluding note that, to them, appears forward-looking and hopeful but which, to readers familiar with the history that the story’s protagonists are yet to experience, is haunted by tragedies to come.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Between jokes about research funding and the scientific questions that might arise upon spotting a fuzzy pink Tyrannosaurus rex on a strange planet, Lemming uses her protagonist, Dory, to poke fun at romance tropes and graduate student woes alike.
—Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026
Hedda is a slippery, confounding protagonist, and Aurora Real de Asua takes on the role with quietly manic energy.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for protagonist
Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 14 Feb. 2026
Margarita Khemlin lets go of her characters on a concluding note that, to them, appears forward-looking and hopeful but which, to readers familiar with the history that the story’s protagonists are yet to experience, is haunted by tragedies to come.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
Between jokes about research funding and the scientific questions that might arise upon spotting a fuzzy pink Tyrannosaurus rex on a strange planet, Lemming uses her protagonist, Dory, to poke fun at romance tropes and graduate student woes alike.
—Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026
Hedda is a slippery, confounding protagonist, and Aurora Real de Asua takes on the role with quietly manic energy.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for protagonist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protagonist
Noun
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Despite his history with direct-to-streaming releases, Timothée Chalamet is a proponent of the moviegoing experience.—
Christi Carras,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Feb. 2026
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Both Nakamura and Carlsen are proponents of faster formats and are signed to esports teams.—
Eduardo Tansley,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Environmental advocates have long fought for regulators to require oil and gas companies to plug these wells to protect nearby communities and the environment.—
Tony Briscoe,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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The administration's characterization has drawn intense concern from Second Amendment advocates, including the National Rifle Association.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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To his excited supporters, Platner might just be the Democrats’ perfect populist insurgent for Maine.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
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Unless public land supporters in office act to clarify corner crossing in law, access will continue to shrink.—
Karlee Provenza,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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This is an unusual position for an exponent of the public sphere and communicative rationality to take.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
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The development of her own particular free indirect discourse form of writing culminated in her position as an early exponent of the Modernist short story.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Dec. 2025
Noun
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With Jackson’s death Tuesday, leaders across the region reflected on a legacy that helped shape a generation of local activism and public service — none more so than Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, a close friend for more than five decades.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
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And while the two friends are both experts in the field, each has a very different journey to becoming an Olympian.—
Ben Church,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Protagonist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protagonist. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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