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 confrontation, captured on video shared by FreedomNewsTV, shows the agitators trying to stop vehicles from leaving Delaney Hall in Newark.—
Stephen Sorace,
FOXNews.com,
27 May 2026
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Asked about Valdez, Bis said law enforcement deployed chemical irritants including pepper balls, but not rubber bullets, after agitators attempted to breach the perimeter at Glass House Farms.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2026
Noun
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All three tease the impending events in interviews with EW.—
Nick Romano,
Entertainment Weekly,
27 May 2026
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During that time, Flair and Ripley have largely been on the same page, but there have been plenty of teases of tension as well.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
Noun
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The Avalanches have shared their second single since launching a stealthy teaser campaign earlier this year.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
1 June 2026
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Starz has also released the first teaser for the new season, which can be seen below.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
1 June 2026
Noun
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Rimet, the instigator of the World Cup, was an enthusiastic supporter of professional soccer at a time when amateur sport was considered superior.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
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Money is an effect, never an instigator of economic activity.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
Noun
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Still, the star did not name her harassers.—
Chanel Vargas,
InStyle,
22 May 2026
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Most harassers do not harass others in front of someone else.—
Briana Mascaro,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Troublemaker.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troublemaker. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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