as in agitators
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent
rabble-rousers inciting hungry people in breadlines to demand social justice
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Recent Examples of rabble-rousers
Being put on some list of rabble-rousers?
—
Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2026
Columbia University's new president is already facing opposition from anti-Israel rabble-rousers, who have condemned her for previous actions taken against leftist encampments at her last college.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 26 Jan. 2026
And still the Swedish rabble-rousers endure.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
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
Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Apr. 2026
Columbia University's new president is already facing opposition from anti-Israel rabble-rousers, who have condemned her for previous actions taken against leftist encampments at her last college.
—Peter D'abrosca, FOXNews.com, 26 Jan. 2026
And still the Swedish rabble-rousers endure.
—Bob Gendron, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rabble-rousers
Noun
-
The Lightning were without Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli, two of the main agitators from the first matchup.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Columbia students, along with outside agitators, broke into an academic building and temporarily detained the janitors inside.—
Rose Horowitch,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Eastern Congo has experienced some of its worst violence in years, with M23 rebels seizing large parts of North Kivu and advancing toward the regional capital, Goma, disrupting road links and border crossings.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Border tensions fueling Congo’s crisis President Félix Tshisekedi’s major challenge is the armed conflict in eastern Congo, where the largest city, Goma, has been controlled by rebels since January 2025.—
Rodney Muhumuza,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And supporters of the deal had to work hard to limit further defections.—
Burgess Everett,
semafor.com,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Proponents argue the Huntington Beach model represents a replicable template for conservative resurgence in California, with supporters in other communities seeking to adopt similar policies.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The issue of high concert prices is multi-faceted, and artists and promoters play more of a role than many fans want to believe.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
In response, ticketing companies introduced dynamic pricing tools that automatically raise prices when demand is strong, allowing artists and promoters to capture more of that value upfront rather than leaving it to resellers on the secondary market.—
Leah Nylen,
Bloomberg,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
Noun
-
Leftist demagogues specialize in lose-lose-lose policies.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
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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
Noun
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In 2024, insurgents led by now-interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s Hayat Tahrir al-Sham marched to Damascus and removed Assad from power.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
While serving a tour of duty outside the province of Kandahar in Afghanistan in August of 2011, he was ambushed by Taliban insurgents disguised in Afghan National Army uniforms.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Even the most ardent proponents of AI are concerned.—
Konstantin Kakaes,
Quanta Magazine,
13 Apr. 2026
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The proponents of this measure have even admitted unabashedly that this is part of a national effort to divide Coloradoans and drive turnout in the midterm elections.—
Mike Smith,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Rabble-rousers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rabble-rousers. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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