protagonists

noun

plural of protagonist
as in proponents
a person who actively supports or favors a cause Milton Friedman is usually cited as the leading American protagonist of monetarism

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of protagonists But unlike his previous work, Lioness focuses on female protagonists juggling complicated homelives, inner demons, and brutal geopolitical conflicts. — Kenneal Patterson, Vanity Fair, 30 July 2026 Maxwell, a fiction editor at The New Yorker, drew upon his own awed discovery of France in 1948; the novel’s opening paragraphs show one of the protagonists weeping at the sight of the French shore. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026 The protagonists include Ernesto Montequín, Nicolás Helft, Laura Paredes, Milva Leonardi and Pablo Dacal. — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 24 July 2026 The three other protagonists on the Alpe on that afternoon in 1997 — Ullrich, Riis and Virenque — all confessed to doping during their careers. — Duncan Alexander, New York Times, 24 July 2026 One of the film’s most memorable sequences has the protagonists disguising themselves as a bluegrass band called the Soggy Bottom Boys. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 18 July 2026 Its protagonists have inner lives; their feelings are important to them, and us. — Literary Hub, 17 July 2026 With impossibly high expectations, the protagonists do not always achieve divine standards. — Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor, 16 July 2026 The young protagonists include Mario Cortijo, Mathias Spitzer, Franco Pennano, José Miguel Argüelles, Guadalupe Farfán, Fabiana Valcárcel and Yahir Manosalva. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 15 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for protagonists
  1. proponents
  2. supporters
  3. advocates
  4. exponents
  5. promoters
Noun
  • But Zuckerberg might know something the measure’s proponents do not — or won’t admit.
    — Jared Walczak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 July 2026
  • The bill’s legislative proponents argue the measure is a win for taxpayers, citing reductions in the cost of homeownership while maintaining funding for schools and other essential services.
    — Abigail Hall, The Conversation, 30 July 2026
Definition of proponents
Noun
  • Some Modi supporters have doubled down, however, with online activists aligned to Modi’s party seeking to identify protesters and share their personal details online to intimidate them.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026
  • If the constitutional amendment passes, supporters hope to elect at least four conservative, antiabortion justices to the seven-member court by 2033.
    — John Hanna, Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of supporters
Noun
  • The debate between Medicare for All and Medicare by Choice advocates is shaping up to be an interesting one in the coming years.
    — Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2026
  • But in Michigan and other battleground states the administration hopes to win over come the November midterms, state officials and Medicaid advocates are bracing for changes to Medicaid that will significantly alter enrollment rates and eligibility.
    — Chelsea Cirruzzo, STAT, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of advocates
Noun
  • His mind didn’t go blank; rather, all the what-ifs multiplied like exponents, crowding his thoughts and rendering him unable to envision anything else.
    — Min Jin Lee, New Yorker, 19 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of exponents
Noun
  • The order is the latest in a long-running SEBI probe into Zee’s promoters.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 3 Aug. 2026
  • With rain in the forecast, the City of Chicago and Lollapalooza promoters have taken steps to make sure attendees stay safe.
    — Shardaa Gray, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of promoters

Browse Nearby Words

protagonist
protagonists
protean
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Cite this Entry

“Protagonists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/protagonists. Accessed 6 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on protagonists

Nglish: Translation of protagonists for Spanish Speakers

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