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 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

Now, Bartko fears death in a Kansas prison cell or deportation to Belarus, where her friends have been prosecuted as political agitators.

— Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026
For several years before the IAU vote, there had been agitators among the astronomical community lobbying for our solar system's nine worlds to become eight, and for Pluto's planetary status to be revoked.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of agitators

Noun

Al-Sharaa ousted President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 in an offensive led by HTS rebels.

— Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
The designation remained throughout the rule of his son Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled by rebels led by current President Ahmed al-Sharaa in December 2024.

— Reuters, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of rebels

Noun

Was The Friedkin Group's decision not to sell the homegrown midfielder a victory for those loyal supporters who campaigned to keep him?

— Leon Imber, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Capcom has proven itself to be one of the platform's biggest supporters, bringing nearly all of its new and old releases to the platform.

— Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of supporters

Noun

The faux outrage was egged on by professional right-wing provocateurs like Robby Starbuck, Benny Johnson and a leading investor in MAGA darling Steak n’ Shake.

— Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
Global organizations navigate a complex landscape, prompting boards to evolve beyond traditional oversight into strategic provocateurs.

— Anna Marks, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

Definition of provocateurs

Noun

In recent years, totalizing ideologies such as communism, fascism, and Islamism have found dedicated audiences on social media, and the proliferation of demagogues manipulating people for malign ends is an ever-present worry.

— James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026
And as Netanyahu’s coalitions hardened Schleien’s programs became edgier, skewering Netanyahu sycophants in the Likud Party, anti-élitist demagogues, cultic settlers, and rabbinic mandarins.

— Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of demagogues

Noun

Israel, meanwhile, has remained suspicious of the new authorities in Damascus, led by former Islamist insurgents.

— Andrew Wilks, Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2026
In both races, the two incumbents faced insurgents who ran under the democratic socialist banner with campaigns that emphasized universal health care, cost-of-living concerns and opposition to Israel.

— Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of insurgents

Noun

The gloves deliver can an electrical shock strong enough to drop a strong man to his knees in an instant, and proponents say the gloves provide a fast and non-lethal way to subdue a person.

— Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
The memo is a bit surprising considering Gates still advises Microsoft, one of the major proponents of the technology, and an investor in OpenAI.

— Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 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 1 Sep. 2026.

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noun

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