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
Through no fault of Newton’s, Faith functions less as a second protagonist than a prop to give Grace more emotional investment in the proceedings by saddling her with guilt over their estrangement or opportunities to nobly sacrifice herself.
—
Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 Mar. 2026
However, perhaps the height of Red Dwarf's experimentation with sci-fi concepts and the exploration of its main protagonists’ morality was the season five finale, Back to Reality.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 14 Mar. 2026
Kin starts in a small town in Jim Crow–era Louisiana, where its two protagonists, Annie and Vernice, are growing up without a mother.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
At the end of Gran’s first game, Perfect Tides (2022), her protagonist, Mara Whitefish, is 16, and spending less time on online fanfic forums and more time outside.
—Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for protagonist
Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 14 Mar. 2026
However, perhaps the height of Red Dwarf's experimentation with sci-fi concepts and the exploration of its main protagonists’ morality was the season five finale, Back to Reality.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 14 Mar. 2026
Kin starts in a small town in Jim Crow–era Louisiana, where its two protagonists, Annie and Vernice, are growing up without a mother.
—Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 13 Mar. 2026
At the end of Gran’s first game, Perfect Tides (2022), her protagonist, Mara Whitefish, is 16, and spending less time on online fanfic forums and more time outside.
—Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for protagonist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protagonist
Noun
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And like in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya, this war seems unlikely to turn out quite as its proponents may hope.—
Fareed Zakaria,
Washington Post,
13 Mar. 2026
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The measure’s proponents say the measure would help free up funds in the county budget for other services.—
Theresa Clift,
Sacbee.com,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Rae Huang, a pastor and housing advocate, will also appear on the ballot.—
Melissa Gomez,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Mar. 2026
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McGiffert, the patient safety advocate, urged consumers to check multiple sources when evaluating a hospital or other health system.—
Ken Alltucker,
USA Today,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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One of the biggest flashpoints came in November when Van de Ven and Djed Spence walked straight down the tunnel without acknowledging the supporters after a 1-0 defeat at home by rivals Chelsea.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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And yet Hezbollah’s choice to plunge the country into war has fractured the group, which is now facing backlash from its own supporters, and from the Lebanese government.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 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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Now, their kids are becoming friends.—
Carolyn Hax,
Washington Post,
11 Mar. 2026
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Rusadze, Giorgadze, and Chasserot have built an impressive industry network over the years, so for their official debut, have secured an impressive roster of backstage talent and models through friends who are keen to support.—
Lucy Maguire,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Protagonist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protagonist. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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