RABBLE-ROUSERS Synonyms: 47 Similar and Opposite Words

rabble-rousers

noun

plural of rabble-rouser

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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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-rousers Democratic politicians, bureaucrats and labor leaders, once rabble-rousers like Bass who nowadays seem to exist mostly to keep their sinecure, have labored mightily to convince unbelieving voters that Bass deserves another shot. — Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rabble-rousers

Noun

The legal defense army The Left developed a legal advocacy network to support street agitators well before 2020.

— Hudson Crozier, The Washington Examiner, 9 Nov. 2026
Coolly, Violet responds that to avoid alarming the public, a few agitators have beenneutralized—now there’s a sticky euphemism—and their deaths passed off as revenge killings among drug traffickers.

— J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of agitators

Noun

The rebels made a lightning advance capturing much of Yemen's Red Sea coast and strategic islands in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

— AHMED HATEM, Arkansas Online, 8 Nov. 2026
Ethiopia’s Foreign Ministry rejected similar Sudanese accusations in a May 5 statement, calling them baseless, and accused Sudan of supporting rebels in its northern Tigray region.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of rebels

Noun

Transgender-rights supporters marched through downtown Seattle Thursday after Washington voters approved a measure barring biological males from girls’ K–12 interscholastic sports, setting up a potential court battle over the new restrictions.

— Jackson Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 7 Nov. 2026
That moment encapsulated the night between Brooks and his supporters.

— Rashad Alexander November 7, Kansas City Star, 7 Nov. 2026

Definition of supporters

Noun

Sheeran has said his promoters made the decision, according to the BBC.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026
Sheeran argued that the decision to remove Macklemore as an opener, backed by the venues and promoters, came down to not wanting to disappoint fans or impact the other people working on the tour by cancelling.

— Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of promoters

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
Hilton’s edgy attitude and pugnacious put-downs would place him right at home among the network’s collection of trolls, provocateurs and Democrat-bashing gargoyles.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of provocateurs

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 demagogues

Noun

Artificial intelligence stocks came under pressure overnight as Democrats — seen as proponents of data center moratoriums — won big in midterm elections in key data center hubs.

— Spencer Kimball,Garrett Downs,Dan Mangan,Kevin Breuninger,Justin Papp, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2026
In the run-up to the midterm election Tuesday, proponents said the property tax amendment would help people stay in their homes and would ease the burden on homeowners.

— Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of proponents

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“Rabble-rousers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rabble-rousers. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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noun

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