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
Blame the storm track and climate troublemaker La Niña, AccuWeather says.
—
Doyle Rice, USA Today, 20 Nov. 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
The show, set in Chicago, starred O’Neill as women’s shoe salesman Al Bundy, Sagal as his wife Peggy, Applegate as not-so-bright daughter Kelly and Faustino as troublemaker son Bud.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
Photograph courtesy Peter Matthiessen estate The second of three children, Matthiessen was the resident troublemaker.
—Maggie Doherty, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for troublemaker
Doyle Rice, USA Today, 20 Nov. 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
The show, set in Chicago, starred O’Neill as women’s shoe salesman Al Bundy, Sagal as his wife Peggy, Applegate as not-so-bright daughter Kelly and Faustino as troublemaker son Bud.
—Michael Schneider, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
Photograph courtesy Peter Matthiessen estate The second of three children, Matthiessen was the resident troublemaker.
—Maggie Doherty, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for troublemaker
Recent Examples of Synonyms for troublemaker
Noun
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Ideally, use a front-loading washer or a top-load washer without a center agitator so the pillows have more room to move in the washer.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
The Spruce,
17 Feb. 2026
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His record as an effective agitator for Black advancement positioned him as a go-to adviser for Chicago politicians who sought his endorsement.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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And remember, this was just a tease.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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In keeping with the travel tease of the film, its couples — including the presumptive one — head north to Siena and Gia’s family’s home.—
Lisa Kennedy,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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To share the news, Cyrus posted a teaser to her Instagram account.—
Kyle Denis,
Billboard,
17 Feb. 2026
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The 33-year-old Grammy winner on Tuesday shared a teaser trailer for the event, which will stream March 24 on Disney+.—
Jami Ganz,
New York Daily News,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
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While some see Nelly as an empathetic and motherly caretaker, others view her as a manipulative, calculating instigator who shapes the narrative to justify her own actions.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
13 Feb. 2026
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Little has been accomplished, and Labour’s woes seem likely to benefit the Reform Party, a new nationalist, populist outfit led by the Brexit instigator Nigel Farage.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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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 21 Feb. 2026.
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