as in agitator
a person who causes trouble; a person who creates problems or difficulties involving other people
He had the reputation of being a troublemaker in high school.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 troublemaker
Iris Apatow and Costa D'Angelo are the latest troublemakers to stir the pot at Baird.
—
Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Jan. 2026
His older brother, Leonard Kibrick, had played the main troublemaker in the series, giving Spanky (George McFarland), Alfalfa (Carl Switzer), Buckwheat (Billie Thomas) and Darla (Darla Hood) a hard time, before Bond replaced him in 1936.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 6 Jan. 2026
Before Jackson's diagnosis more than a decade ago, Ferguson said, her son wasn't a troublemaker.
—Sarah Jane Tribble, NPR, 22 Dec. 2025
Fishing with his father and grandfather was a welcome release, but school brought out his inner troublemaker.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for troublemaker
Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Jan. 2026
His older brother, Leonard Kibrick, had played the main troublemaker in the series, giving Spanky (George McFarland), Alfalfa (Carl Switzer), Buckwheat (Billie Thomas) and Darla (Darla Hood) a hard time, before Bond replaced him in 1936.
—Mike Barnes, HollywoodReporter, 6 Jan. 2026
Before Jackson's diagnosis more than a decade ago, Ferguson said, her son wasn't a troublemaker.
—Sarah Jane Tribble, NPR, 22 Dec. 2025
Fishing with his father and grandfather was a welcome release, but school brought out his inner troublemaker.
—Tyler Austin Harper, The Atlantic, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for troublemaker
Recent Examples of Synonyms for troublemaker
Noun
-
On March 1st, the right-wing online agitator Ian Miles Cheong posted a video from a Dubai club where uniformed employees danced with sparklers and liquor bottles.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
11 Mar. 2026
-
They could be trapped in the door’s rubber seal or under the agitator, for example.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The fact that a major publishing announcement (or at least a tease of one) is being made on a mainstream entertainment podcast rather than through a traditional book-industry channel speaks to how pop culture and publishing are increasingly intertwined.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
4 Mar. 2026
-
As for which Bridgerton sibling takes the spotlight next, Brownell offered a tease.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
26 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
No additional details have been announced — no release window, no single teasers, no collaborator announcements — which suggests the project may still be in its formative stages.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2026
-
After releasing a teaser ahead of the Goteborg premiere, Films Boutique has now unveiled the international trailer for the feature.—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In 2001, the United States and its allies stormed into Afghanistan, aiming to destroy the Taliban and round up the instigators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.—
Nolan Finley,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
-
An instigator all night long for the Chargers, the 5-foot-3 Dutkanych finally took in the scene around her before reaching up to softly rub a growing lump on her forehead, reddened by the ice.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Instead, the lawsuit argued, law enforcement in the area where the harasser lived should have served the papers.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
27 Dec. 2025
-
Moreover, when harassers disproportionately target women, people of color and LGBTQ officials, entire communities are systematically excluded from participation in self-governance.—
Ernestine Nettles,
Mercury News,
22 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Troublemaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troublemaker. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
