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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of troublemaker
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
My great-grandfather said that the next day, the whole town celebrated because the troublemakers were gone.
—Masha Hamilton, Longreads, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for troublemaker
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
My great-grandfather said that the next day, the whole town celebrated because the troublemakers were gone.
—Masha Hamilton, Longreads, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for troublemaker
Recent Examples of Synonyms for troublemaker
Noun
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The following day at Haymarket Square in Chicago, an unknown agitator threw a bomb at police, killing one officer instantly and leading to a violent battle that killed several more law enforcement officers and protesters.—
Preston Mizell,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
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Birdbaths that have small fountains or agitators also keep the water rippling.—
Joan Morris,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Viewers will also get early teases of Vought Rising within the final season of The Boys, offering a first look at what’s ahead as the story continues to evolve.—
Angelique Brenes,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
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There’s the tease of one, right up until the end, and the promise of the con.—
Lindsey Bahr,
Boston Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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See the entire official teaser below.—
Sean Joseph OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
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Check out the new teaser below.—
Brian Welk,
IndieWire,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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All of that would be intriguing even if the founders of Deep Voodoo weren’t South Park instigators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Mar. 2026
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Hawkins joked that Heckel is usually the instigator of any trash talk between them, but there hasn’t been much jawing ahead of Monday’s second-round NCAA Tournament game.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Of course, that conservative approach is often wrecked by QB harassers such as Lawrence and Williams, part of a defense that ranked seventh in the NFL in sacks.—
Eric Branch,
San Francisco Chronicle,
17 Jan. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Troublemaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troublemaker. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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