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
In plays that feature women protagonists, the experience of feeling trapped is a recurring theme, whether characters are hemmed in by marriage, motherhood, gender roles, race, economic status or any number of societal norms.
—
Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
And, for families looking for strong tween and teenage girl protagonists depicted on screen, Rule Breakers is ideal.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
The hypercompetitive magician Borden is locked in mortal combat with his nemesis, Angier (Hugh Jackman), and what remains fascinating about The Prestige is how devoted its cast and director are to depicting this rivalry between two utterly charmless protagonists.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2026
The only protagonists left, the only ones with any real remaining agency over Tottenham’s perilous situation, are the players themselves.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Moments of physical intimacy between his protagonists are often relayed in rigid and frustratingly inexpressive language, which occasionally veers into the tiringly smutty.
—Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
Headquartered in Bangkok, BKK Films will have a focus on genre projects with Asian protagonists shooting in Thailand, but will also develop projects across Southeast Asia and other international territories.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 4 Mar. 2026
Hjorth and her protagonists know that retreading this territory can feel claustrophobic.
—Honor Jones, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
The shifting narrative, told from the perspective of three markedly different protagonists, made for a compelling sci-fi tale.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
And, for families looking for strong tween and teenage girl protagonists depicted on screen, Rule Breakers is ideal.
—Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 9 Mar. 2026
The hypercompetitive magician Borden is locked in mortal combat with his nemesis, Angier (Hugh Jackman), and what remains fascinating about The Prestige is how devoted its cast and director are to depicting this rivalry between two utterly charmless protagonists.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2026
The only protagonists left, the only ones with any real remaining agency over Tottenham’s perilous situation, are the players themselves.
—Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Moments of physical intimacy between his protagonists are often relayed in rigid and frustratingly inexpressive language, which occasionally veers into the tiringly smutty.
—Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
Headquartered in Bangkok, BKK Films will have a focus on genre projects with Asian protagonists shooting in Thailand, but will also develop projects across Southeast Asia and other international territories.
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 4 Mar. 2026
Hjorth and her protagonists know that retreading this territory can feel claustrophobic.
—Honor Jones, The Atlantic, 3 Mar. 2026
The shifting narrative, told from the perspective of three markedly different protagonists, made for a compelling sci-fi tale.
—Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 1 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protagonists
Noun
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Ironically, bell-to-bell ban proponents like Britt-Friedman are also worried about children’s safety — but the danger that animates them is the phone itself.—
Theo Peck-Suzuki,
Hartford Courant,
9 Mar. 2026
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Now, the hospital, which treats mostly people involved with the justice system, is expanding to alleviate the county’s overlapping mental health and homelessness crisis, in what proponents described as a more compassionate approach than in the past.—
Andrew Khouri,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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After losing the Chinese Civil War to Mao and his Communist forces, the Nationalist government and its supporters fled in 1949 to the island of Taiwan and continued to rule as the Republic of China’s government in exile.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
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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
Noun
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More immediately, advocates in Pennsylvania are calling for heavier investment in an existing but often overlooked agency.—
Collin Binkley,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
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A week after the mass shooting on West Sixth Street, the city’s response has moved beyond sirens and crime scene tape and into counseling sessions, victim advocates, campus support groups and hotlines for people still trying to make sense of what happened.—
Dante Motley,
Austin American Statesman,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The prime exponents are Brentford, with whom Gronnemark has worked on a consultancy basis.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Two years later, promoters marketed confusing credits such as the Employee Retention Credit to businesses that did not qualify, collecting fees to file improper claims.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
12 Mar. 2026
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Also for the amphitheaters, promoters may choose how to distribute up to 50% of the tickets at their own discretion.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Protagonists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protagonists. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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