as in rebel
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent
a calculating provocateur, she has made a career out of controversy for its own sake
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 provocateur
Ye’s spokesperson, far-right provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos, defended his boss outside the courtroom.
—
Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
The great Russ Meyer and Radley Metzger are represented with double features, as is European provocateur Jess Franco.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 26 Feb. 2026
That’s what lawmakers grappled with Monday when a local conservative provocateur came to testify on an immigration bill wearing brownface and a sombrero and speaking Spanish.
—Idaho Statesman, 24 Feb. 2026
Yet Anti Fund faces pressure to overcome Paul’s provocateur image.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for provocateur
Victoria Bekiempis, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2026
The great Russ Meyer and Radley Metzger are represented with double features, as is European provocateur Jess Franco.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 26 Feb. 2026
That’s what lawmakers grappled with Monday when a local conservative provocateur came to testify on an immigration bill wearing brownface and a sombrero and speaking Spanish.
—Idaho Statesman, 24 Feb. 2026
Yet Anti Fund faces pressure to overcome Paul’s provocateur image.
—Jake Angelo, Fortune, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for provocateur
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provocateur
Noun
-
The mineral-rich eastern Congo has been battered by decades of unrest as government forces fight more than 100 armed groups, the most potent the M23 rebel group backed by Rwanda.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Ai, a Chinese Vietnamese American filmmaker and writer, focuses on rebels and outsiders of mainstream culture.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Neither the artist’s team nor local promoters have issued an official statement regarding the cancellation or the rescheduling of the Milan concert, or possible adjustments to the immediate tour schedule.—
Franchesca Guim,
Billboard,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Local venue and promoter pre-sale will begin on March 25, with tickets going on sale on March 27.—
Payton Turkeltaub,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Columbia students, along with outside agitators, broke into an academic building and temporarily detained the janitors inside.—
Rose Horowitch,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
-
But other than Bedard and MacKenzie Weegar getting into it a couple of times, Mangiapane was the only real agitator the Blackhawks had.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The singer has long been a proponent of strict boundaries between celebrities, fans, and paparazzi.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The purpose of the bill is to protect jobs and to limit stress on workers and customers, proponents said.—
Kaitlin McCallum,
Hartford Courant,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
French former Prime Minister Lionel Jospin, who gave France its 35-hour work week and then withdrew from politics after leading France’s Socialist Party to an earth-shaking presidential election defeat against far-right firebrand Jean-Marie Le Pen, has died.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 Mar. 2026
-
An angry deity hurled a firebrand at the swallow, singeing away its middle tail feathers.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In her concession statement, McDonnell said her campaign had been to provide Republican voters with a choice to fill the open seat, thanking her supporters.—
Joseph States,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Mar. 2026
-
While Lamont and gun safety advocates strongly favor the measure, supporters of the Second Amendment have been pushing back in both oral and written testimony to the judiciary committee that included more than 180 comments written anonymously.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Certainly Arendt, who lived through arguably darker times, did not see them as merely a product of the era’s monstrous demagogues.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Following the outbreak of COVID-19, bias incidents and assaults against Asian Americans soared to alarming heights as demagogues on the streets and in high office inflamed xenophobic fear and animosity.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were spotted in terminals, including at Philadelphia International Airport, where a protester was seen at one of the checkpoints holding a sign criticizing ICE.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Moe, a Minnesota native, is a poet and protester.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Provocateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provocateur. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
