as in proponents
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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Recent Examples of protagonists
Both prior credits established Lee as a director drawn to morally complex protagonists navigating institutional and criminal systems.
—
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 June 2026
And fairy tales with female protagonists are not just stories of oppression and outdated gender roles, but stories of awakening, opportunity and transformation.
—Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
By the end of the show, which had its protagonists traveling around the country and beyond, Ava has come around to the place and to Deborah’s antics.
—Alexandra Jhamb Burns, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
Her thrillers typically feature female protagonists and begin with a murder, a killer closing in on the narrator, or an arrest.
—Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 June 2026
Their protagonists tend to be runaways—men who join whaling expeditions in their haste to dodge the malaise that sets in on shore, boys who board rafts floating down the Mississippi to evade their guardians and their chores.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Like Stranger Things, The Boroughs makes great use of the fact that no one believes a word its protagonists say.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026
Chief among them was his conviction that fully AI protagonists will soon deliver big box office hits.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 31 May 2026
Filmmakers trying to rack up the bodies didn’t necessarily care whether the protagonists made believable decisions, as long as those decisions led toward sufficiently graphic kills.
—Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 June 2026
And fairy tales with female protagonists are not just stories of oppression and outdated gender roles, but stories of awakening, opportunity and transformation.
—Literary Hub, 3 June 2026
By the end of the show, which had its protagonists traveling around the country and beyond, Ava has come around to the place and to Deborah’s antics.
—Alexandra Jhamb Burns, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 June 2026
Her thrillers typically feature female protagonists and begin with a murder, a killer closing in on the narrator, or an arrest.
—Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 June 2026
Their protagonists tend to be runaways—men who join whaling expeditions in their haste to dodge the malaise that sets in on shore, boys who board rafts floating down the Mississippi to evade their guardians and their chores.
—Becca Rothfeld, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Like Stranger Things, The Boroughs makes great use of the fact that no one believes a word its protagonists say.
—Graham Hillard, The Washington Examiner, 31 May 2026
Chief among them was his conviction that fully AI protagonists will soon deliver big box office hits.
—Dade Hayes, Deadline, 31 May 2026
Filmmakers trying to rack up the bodies didn’t necessarily care whether the protagonists made believable decisions, as long as those decisions led toward sufficiently graphic kills.
—Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 29 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protagonists
Noun
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And in the middle of the Iran war, its proponents fear that could pose a major national security risk.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
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This new age of beauty, proponents said, is about keeping your skin fresh in the long term rather than freaking about the appearance of aging in the present.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
Noun
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In a June 3 letter provided to USA TODAY, Steyer's campaign reiterated the importance of counting each vote while urging supporters to make sure their ballot was accepted.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
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Vang’s supporters, including members of the California Working Families Party and the California Nurses Association, have accused Matsui of directing a super PAC to spend $119,000 to boost Wooden.—
Mathew Miranda
June 4,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
Noun
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Lawmakers had previously given state health officials the authority to conduct visits to the facility, and the Adams County Health Department launched an investigation into the facility earlier this year after immigrant advocates alleged that gastrointestinal illness was rampant.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
9 June 2026
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Privacy advocates and some lawmakers have been pushing to create a new warrant requirement before those communications can be searched.—
Joey Cappelletti,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Noun
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This movement, known as critical legal studies, was associated with the political left, and its exponents, known as crits, loved to disparage liberal theorists’ devotion to the Constitution as naïve and counterproductive.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Of course, Huang wasn’t talking to just anyone, but one of the chief exponents of the wealth tax, nationwide and in California.—
Jacqueline Munis,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
Cite this Entry
“Protagonists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protagonists. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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