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
Renko, the film’s child protagonist, stands out.
—
Blake Simons, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2025
The adolescent protagonist soon finds himself at the mercy of his imperious uncle, who puts his nephew out on the street for missing a midnight curfew, of which poor Karl was quite unaware.
—Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025
One of her biggest roles in recent years was as Nova Bordelon, the protagonist of Ava DuVernay’s small-screen drama Queen Sugar (2016–2022).
—Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Oct. 2025
Safdie perceptively locates the protagonist’s troubling inner contradictions—the atavistic fury that drives him to compete and the intense self-control that competition demands—but dramatizes such outer crises as opioid addiction and conflict with his girlfriend (Emily Blunt) only schematically.
—Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for protagonist
Blake Simons, IndieWire, 6 Oct. 2025
The adolescent protagonist soon finds himself at the mercy of his imperious uncle, who puts his nephew out on the street for missing a midnight curfew, of which poor Karl was quite unaware.
—Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025
One of her biggest roles in recent years was as Nova Bordelon, the protagonist of Ava DuVernay’s small-screen drama Queen Sugar (2016–2022).
—Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Oct. 2025
Safdie perceptively locates the protagonist’s troubling inner contradictions—the atavistic fury that drives him to compete and the intense self-control that competition demands—but dramatizes such outer crises as opioid addiction and conflict with his girlfriend (Emily Blunt) only schematically.
—Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for protagonist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protagonist
Noun
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Massive Attack have also joined a separate but parallel drive to pull music from Spotify altogether; proponents of that movement primarily cite founder Daniel Ek’s investment in weapons contractor Helsing, which is not linked to Israel.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
6 Oct. 2025
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With Newsom’s signature now on AB 1340, drivers can collectively bargain and unionize, including negotiating contracts, which would set industry-wide standards, according to proponents like bill sponsors Assemblymembers Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, and Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland.—
David Lightman,
Sacbee.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
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For years, advocates for expanding child birth options in Kentucky have called on lawmakers to reduce barriers to establishing freestanding birthing centers.—
Killian Baarlaer,
Louisville Courier Journal,
3 Oct. 2025
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No president has ever fired a commissioner, and many commissioners have been outspoken advocates for free speech.—
Erin Mansfield,
USA Today,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Back in the 1920s, even the Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin called on his British supporters to affiliate with the Labour Party instead of fighting it.—
Arash Azizi,
The Atlantic,
4 Oct. 2025
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No victims speak in court While the court heard several pleas from Combs’ supporters Friday, the victims who testified at trial were noticeably absent from the hearing.—
Nicki Brown,
CNN Money,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Young Thug is the purest exponent of mainstream rap’s melodic rap era.—
Mosi Reeves,
Rolling Stone,
29 Sep. 2025
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Stephanie Bell is none other than Stephanie Kelton, now an exponent of Modern Monetary Theory.—
Vipin Bharathan,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Maybe your parents taught you a lot about David Bowie, your friends taught you to enjoy Pokémon cards, and too many late hours on Reddit taught you about Doomsday prepping.—
Jonny Thomson,
Big Think,
1 Oct. 2025
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An adaptation of Perry’s play of the same name, released by Lionsgate, the original film follows four married couples — close friends who reunite once a year for a weeklong vacation together.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
1 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Protagonist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protagonist. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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