as in agitators
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of provocateurs
By focusing so much on the Jewish people and the Jewish state, these provocateurs have a much broader goal in mind than merely ostracizing America's small Jewish minority.
—
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Charlie Kirk was one of the right's preeminent provocateurs, often delving into contentious territory.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
So instead of making these obvious points to union provocateurs such as Davis Gates, our political leaders treat her with kid gloves.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2025
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
Charlie Kirk was one of the right's preeminent provocateurs, often delving into contentious territory.
—Zac Anderson, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025
So instead of making these obvious points to union provocateurs such as Davis Gates, our political leaders treat her with kid gloves.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 24 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provocateurs
Noun
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And while some have crossed the line from peaceful protesters to violent agitators, violence already has ample legal remedies under state and federal law.—
Jason M. Blazakis,
Mercury News,
18 Oct. 2025
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The Boston Police Department said that agitators directly assaulted officers during the riot.—
Adam Sabes,
FOXNews.com,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The Romans were masters at using rewards and punishment to manage foreign states, from grants of citizenship to massacres of rebels.—
Barry Strauss,
Time,
21 Oct. 2025
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Currently Colombia’s security forces are facing their biggest threat since the 2016 peace deal with FARC rebels, fighting a slew of powerful armed groups tied to the narcotics trade.—
Alfie Pannell,
Miami Herald,
20 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The best challenger brands think like cultural insurgents.—
Erik Huberman,
Rolling Stone,
10 Oct. 2025
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Islamist insurgents have since May attacked Malian and foreign-owned businesses, including cement factories, sugar factories, and mines.—
Preeti Jha,
semafor.com,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In the article, Roufus criticized promoters who were focused on profits and lacked the experience to safely sponsor fights.—
Cleo Krejci,
jsonline.com,
18 Oct. 2025
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As promoters hit him up to bring Experts Only from Los Angeles to Japan, the final goal of his new empire is to throw parties without even playing at them.—
Jessica Coacci,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Both supporters and opponents see these early moves as test cases that are laying the groundwork for moving more of the agency's work to other parts of the government.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
19 Oct. 2025
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Given Swift's pop culture influence and massive fanbase, some football players, like JJ Watt, were supporters long before Swift debuted her first tunnel fit.—
Lex Goldstein,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
Noun
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America seems unlikely to be made great again by the demagogues of white nationalism, who cannot help but channel fury over irreversible decline at those who have been working hard, through either literal or spiritual immigration, to become American.—
Pankaj Mishra,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
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Our shrinking attention span has left us vulnerable to demagogues and misinformation from every direction.—
Doug McIntyre,
Oc Register,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Chelsea, Liverpool, and Aston Villa have been notable proponents of this setup, with last season’s total share of teams employing this system reaching its highest level for a decade.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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The California Attorney General’s Office needs to review the proposal before proponents can begin collecting signatures to try and place it on the ballot.—
Kate Wolffe,
Sacbee.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The team found that artificial sweetener Stevia, as well as compounds released by our own gut cells, were the main instigators in activating these gut phages.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
16 Oct. 2025
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Naming an interstate war based on the state in which the war is fought – while omitting the name of outside instigators – implies the culpability of that state.—
Esther Brito Ruiz,
The Conversation,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Provocateurs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provocateurs. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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