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
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Recent Examples of provocateur
Laura Loomer, a right-wing provocateur and conspiracy theorist, saw an opportunity to position herself as the voice of reason.
—
Chris Megerian, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2025
Of all the larger-than-life agitators and provocateurs to come out of Flint, Michigan, in the past few years, he’s become one of the best rappers of the bunch.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 6 June 2025
In his latest crime thriller, New York federal prosecutor Nora Carleton builds a case against an online provocateur whose vitriolic podcasts may be inspiring physical attacks against ideological foes.
—Monitor Staff, Christian Science Monitor, 22 May 2025
College campuses, after all, cannot and should not be anarchic free speech zones where any maniacal provocateur like Milo Yiannopoulos can come and deliver an outrageous address designed to do nothing other than generate controversy without any pushback.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for provocateur
Chris Megerian, Chicago Tribune, 6 June 2025
Of all the larger-than-life agitators and provocateurs to come out of Flint, Michigan, in the past few years, he’s become one of the best rappers of the bunch.
—Alphonse Pierre, Pitchfork, 6 June 2025
In his latest crime thriller, New York federal prosecutor Nora Carleton builds a case against an online provocateur whose vitriolic podcasts may be inspiring physical attacks against ideological foes.
—Monitor Staff, Christian Science Monitor, 22 May 2025
College campuses, after all, cannot and should not be anarchic free speech zones where any maniacal provocateur like Milo Yiannopoulos can come and deliver an outrageous address designed to do nothing other than generate controversy without any pushback.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for provocateur
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provocateur
Noun
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Yemen's Houthi rebels, aligned with Iran, have continued to launch attacks in the region despite the truce, including previous drone and missile strikes targeting Israel.—
Amanda Castro
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
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Young-il manages to separate from the group and betrays the rebels, killing two of them and faking his own death.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Noun
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His trajectory in the music industry went from concert promoter and artist manager to entrepreneur who launched Absolute Merch with no funding in 2012.—
Andrea Zarczynski,
Forbes.com,
30 June 2025
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Just hours after tickets went on sale Thursday (June 26) for the legendary rock band’s 2025 stadium tour, promoter TEG Van Egmond has announced second dates in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane due to overwhelming demand.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
26 June 2025
Noun
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Police officials said force was used only after a group of agitators began pelting officers with bottles, fireworks and other objects.—
Karim Doumar,
Los Angeles Times,
23 June 2025
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The Austin Police Department (APD) has released mugshots of eight people who were arrested after anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agitators turned violent this week.—
Audrey Conklin,
FOXNews.com,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
The legendary rapper was quickly cremated, which his mother was a proponent of, but Knight stated that Pac had different plans for his funeral.—
Michael Saponara,
Billboard,
1 July 2025
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Much like Gen Z, who are proponents of manifesting success, King agrees that there’s power in thinking positively.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
30 June 2025
Noun
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The insult to business found its leader in former FTC chief Lina Khan, a 36-year-old populist firebrand who was an anathema to business and tried to check its every move.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
30 June 2025
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Rutte’s first government was a coalition with the more right-leaning Christian Democrats (CDA) but was propped up by the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), led by the anti-Muslim firebrand Geert Wilders.—
Adam Rasmi,
Time,
20 June 2025
Noun
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Longoria has been a longtime supporter of the Democratic Party and endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2024 election.—
Lea Veloso,
StyleCaster,
1 July 2025
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Brazilian fans make Charlotte feel like home Fluminense supporters made their presence felt from the opening whistle.—
Shane Connuck
June 30,
Charlotte Observer,
30 June 2025
Noun
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Today, as fears of authoritarianism and political demagogues have been unexpectedly rekindled, certain episodes are again recalled, especially those with political and social themes – which were contained within at least 1/3 of the total produced.—
Jody Mamone,
Hartford Courant,
21 June 2025
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Four women have accused the professional kickboxer-turned-internet demagogue of rape, in a historic UK civil suit.—
Sana Noor Haq,
CNN Money,
10 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The warning issue June 11 said terrorist and insurgent groups regularly attacked Iraqi security forces and civilians and anti-U.S. militias threatened U.S. citizens and international companies.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
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The Iranian regime has held Americans hostage and supported terrorists and insurgents who have killed U.S. service members in Lebanon and Iraq.—
Reid Smith,
Foreign Affairs,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Provocateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provocateur. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
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