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.
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Recent Examples of troublemaker
The book looked at the world of Bad Bridgets, a swath of Irish women emigrants that were deemed troublemakers, noting that for a time Irish women outnumbered Irish men in prison.
—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
Climate troublemaker El Niño can cause heat waves, droughts and flooding around the world.
—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
And then there’s that bag stuffed with cash and drugs, the real troublemaker.
—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
Their bid to cash in on the find quickly unravels into a dangerous pursuit, as smugglers and rivals close in and an unlikely band of companions, including a resourceful fish vendor and a volatile local troublemaker, get swept up in the mayhem.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for troublemaker
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2026
Climate troublemaker El Niño can cause heat waves, droughts and flooding around the world.
—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
And then there’s that bag stuffed with cash and drugs, the real troublemaker.
—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
4 Mar. 2026
Their bid to cash in on the find quickly unravels into a dangerous pursuit, as smugglers and rivals close in and an unlikely band of companions, including a resourceful fish vendor and a volatile local troublemaker, get swept up in the mayhem.
—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for troublemaker
Recent Examples of Synonyms for troublemaker
Noun
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It’s been 28 years since their last appearance, but the older fans remember the feeling of heady optimism, an occasional tease of excitement and then crushing disappointment.
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His season ends with a heart attack, mirroring his father’s cause of death — and a major tease for his story continuation in the One Golden Summer novel.
Noun
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Still, the star did not name her harassers.
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Most harassers do not harass others in front of someone else.
Noun
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The majority of speakers at Tuesday’s board meeting urged the board not to allow online agitators to dictate personnel decisions.
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In recent years, agitators have fueled anti-immigration street violence following crimes committed by, or falsely reported to have been committed by, immigrants.
Noun
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The webtoon’s title is set to be announced Wednesday at an Annecy Mifa market session, From China to Global Animation Synergy with Bilibili, where a teaser will be shown.
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Netflix released a teaser trailer, artwork and first-look images.
Noun
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Which is why this opinion piece speculates that the spending effect of growth in the form of high demand for all things Swift and World Cup is a relative growth somnolent as opposed to an instigator.
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The parents, arguably the film’s first instigators, operate based off fear of their children’s sexuality.
Cite this Entry
“Troublemaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troublemaker. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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