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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Recent Examples of provocateurs
Just a funny parasocial back-and-forth between some of the most passionate fans in sports and one of the best provocateurs the SEC has seen since Steve Spurrier.
—
Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
Alliances with independents and provocateurs can bring younger crowds to the traditional news fold in an era when such viewership is not guaranteed.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
For 15 years as a member of French psych pop provocateurs La Femme, Magnée and band members were walking billboards for retro chic fashion.
—Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 14 Apr. 2026
The character of McCrum’s images is also quite different than that of the ones in the fictional Brainrot, whose sleek, sensual images recall the highly polished work of provocateurs like Torbjørn Rødland and Heji Shin.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Lost in all the heated rhetoric is the fact that so much of this turmoil would have been avoided if federal detainers were simply honored within local jails and state prisons — away from the public and professional provocateurs who are drawn to uncivil cultural conflict like bees to honey.
—Bob Ehrlich, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2026
The pair of social media provocateurs post their bizarre arguments and interactions with everyday New Yorkers, which usually end with them being chased down the street and out of bodegas and residential buildings.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2026
There were right-wing provocateurs coming to town.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Third parties, which are usually based on fringe views or a sense of grievance, are vehicles for ideologues, provocateurs and contrarians whose appeal is as limited as their problem-solving skills.
—Newsweek Contributors, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
Alliances with independents and provocateurs can bring younger crowds to the traditional news fold in an era when such viewership is not guaranteed.
—Brian Steinberg, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
For 15 years as a member of French psych pop provocateurs La Femme, Magnée and band members were walking billboards for retro chic fashion.
—Selena Fragassi, SPIN, 14 Apr. 2026
The character of McCrum’s images is also quite different than that of the ones in the fictional Brainrot, whose sleek, sensual images recall the highly polished work of provocateurs like Torbjørn Rødland and Heji Shin.
—Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 13 Apr. 2026
Lost in all the heated rhetoric is the fact that so much of this turmoil would have been avoided if federal detainers were simply honored within local jails and state prisons — away from the public and professional provocateurs who are drawn to uncivil cultural conflict like bees to honey.
—Bob Ehrlich, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2026
The pair of social media provocateurs post their bizarre arguments and interactions with everyday New Yorkers, which usually end with them being chased down the street and out of bodegas and residential buildings.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2026
There were right-wing provocateurs coming to town.
—Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 6 Feb. 2026
Third parties, which are usually based on fringe views or a sense of grievance, are vehicles for ideologues, provocateurs and contrarians whose appeal is as limited as their problem-solving skills.
—Newsweek Contributors, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provocateurs
Noun
-
Goche said much of the anger toward ICE is fueled by misinformation and agitators.—
Brooke Taylor,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
-
The governor continued her call for peaceful demonstrations and urged outside agitators to stay home.—
Mark Prussin,
CBS News,
31 May 2026
Noun
-
Cuba’s nationalization wave began soon after Fidel Castro’s rebels took control of the island in 1959.—
Max Saltman,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
-
Gangs, rebels, and soldiers started massacring elephants, sometimes from military helicopters.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The primary race has been described as a potential sleeper for progressive insurgents looking to build on the remarkable long-shot victory of Mayor Mamdani in last year’s race for City Hall.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
26 May 2026
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The insurgents have frequently targeted security forces, government installations and civilians in the province and elsewhere in the country.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
Nio signed on several brand promoters, including Robin Zeng, the CEO of CATL, the industry's battery giant, who affirmed in a marketing video that about 2,000 of his employees had bought Nio cars.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
28 May 2026
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Practical approaches to foster this connection can include participating in smaller club takeovers and hosting intimate pre-festival events that allow promoters, artists and brands to build direct relationships with audiences.—
Sunita Dhaliwal,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Noun
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In a June 3 letter provided to USA TODAY, Steyer's campaign reiterated the importance of counting each vote while urging supporters to make sure their ballot was accepted.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
5 June 2026
-
Vang’s supporters, including members of the California Working Families Party and the California Nurses Association, have accused Matsui of directing a super PAC to spend $119,000 to boost Wooden.—
Mathew Miranda
June 4,
Sacbee.com,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
But those standards can be easily stretched by demagogues, and a simple majority on the committee is enough to ban a party, though a panel of nine Supreme Court justices can overturn the decision on appeal.—
Bernard Avishai,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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But demeaning our brand through association with vulgar demagogues is a losing strategy.—
Alma Hernandez,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
And in the middle of the Iran war, its proponents fear that could pose a major national security risk.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
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This new age of beauty, proponents said, is about keeping your skin fresh in the long term rather than freaking about the appearance of aging in the present.—
Ramishah Maruf,
CNN Money,
7 June 2026
Noun
-
His climate policy push has generated moments of significant blow back from right-leaning politicians and outspoken members of the public, leading political observers to cast green policies as all-but-inevitable instigators of climate backlash.—
Justin Worland,
Time,
3 June 2026
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There are leaders, lurkers, peacekeepers, instigators, and the person who only surfaces to drop an occasional thumbs-up.—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Provocateurs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provocateurs. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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