rabble-rouser

noun

ˈra-bəl-ˌrau̇-zər How to pronounce rabble-rouser (audio)
Definition of rabble-rousernext
as in rebel
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent rabble-rousers inciting hungry people in breadlines to demand social justice

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 rabble-rouser And still the Swedish rabble-rousers endure. — Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026 Bryce Young makes the placid Brock Purdy look like a rabble-rouser at the podium. — Jerry McDonald, Mercury News, 22 Nov. 2025 There are also rabble-rousers at the site, yelling expletives as heavily armed federal officers survey them on the sidewalk from a perch up on the roof. — Suzette Hackney, USA Today, 17 Oct. 2025 Most of these commentators, influencers, and rabble-rousers operate outside the mainstream-media spotlight, yet their influence is vast, shaping how the next generation thinks about race, gender, government, and truth itself. — Clara Molot, Air Mail, 20 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for rabble-rouser
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rabble-rouser
  1. rebel
  2. firebrand
  3. agitator
  4. demagogue
  5. promoter
  6. proponent
  7. provocateur
  8. supporter
Noun
  • The attack comes as Colombia’s conservative government changes the nation’s security strategy and takes a more confrontational approach towards gangs and rebel groups.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The blast comes amid President Abelardo de la Espriella’s tougher security strategy, which includes ending rebel talks and renewing operations against gangs and armed groups.
    — Manuel Rueda, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of rebel
Noun
  • The ultra-nationalist party is led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right firebrand once deemed too extreme to serve in Israel’s military.
    — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Cruz, a conservative firebrand, is trying to rally the party’s base in a year where Republicans fear many of their voters will stay home.
    — Matthew Choi, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of firebrand
Noun
  • Scores of pages of planning documents and social media posts analyzed by Fox News Digital reveal that agitators have laid the groundwork for a coordinated campaign with money, logistics and a communications infrastructure behind their efforts.
    — Asra Q. Nomani, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
  • An agitator jumped onto the hood of an ICE vehicle and the officer driving applied the brakes.
    — Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of agitator
Noun
  • Unsheltered intertwined two plots related to the precarity of American life and the danger of demagogues—one set at the dawn of the MAGA era.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Unsheltered intertwined two plots related to the precarity of American life and the danger of demagogues — one set at the dawn of the MAGA era.
    — Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of demagogue
Noun
  • The list is based on data provided to the trade publication Pollstar by concert promoters and venue managers.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Why concert tickets keep getting more expensive Artists, promoters, venues, and ticketing platforms all take a cut of each ticket.
    — James LaForge, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of promoter
Noun
  • Some proponents of tighter regulation will accept incremental progress, while others push for more sweeping change.
    — Barbara A. Trish, The Conversation, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Jackson, a proponent of Medicare for All, wrote Maine’s law creating the Prescription Drug Affordability Board and establishing pathways to importing cheaper drugs from Canada.
    — Emma Specter, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of proponent
Noun
  • Feigenbaum offered a more cautious interpretation, describing some of the violent perpetrators as fringe provocateurs who exploit broader demonstrations without necessarily directing them.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • Mungiu’s prickly, nonjudgmental studies of human behavior have sometimes led him to be branded as a provocateur.
    — Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of provocateur
Noun
  • Polish President Karol Nawrocki forced his way into his nation’s high court as his supporters clashed against an army of police outside.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 31 Oct. 2026
  • Harris thanked her for being a supporter of the program and players and coaches presented her with a card.
    — Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of supporter

Browse Nearby Words

rabblement
rabble-rouser
rabble-rousers
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rabble-rouser.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rabble-rouser. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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