as in torturers
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 troublemakers
Across China, tens of thousands of people tagged as troublemakers like the Yangs are trapped in a digital cage, barred from leaving their province and sometimes even their homes by the world’s largest digital surveillance apparatus.
—
Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
In a recent study published in Nature Aging, researchers at UC San Francisco sought to identify the molecular troublemakers that cause our brains to age prematurely.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025
With warm summer waters still lingering in the North Sea, plant operators and marine scientists will be watching closely for the next unpredictable wave of these gelatinous troublemakers.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Aug. 2025
Krampus isn’t all bad, though, as his deployment of corporal punishment is intended to drive troublemakers into a life of virtue.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 22 Nov. 2024
Or deck out your house with nifty security devices like video doorbells and indoor cameras to keep an eye on pets, kids, and other troublemakers.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 9 Oct. 2024
Workers, too, are increasingly leery of their employers, who, for their part, see those fighting for greater freedom of association as troublemakers.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
In a recent study published in Nature Aging, researchers at UC San Francisco sought to identify the molecular troublemakers that cause our brains to age prematurely.
—Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2025
With warm summer waters still lingering in the North Sea, plant operators and marine scientists will be watching closely for the next unpredictable wave of these gelatinous troublemakers.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Aug. 2025
Krampus isn’t all bad, though, as his deployment of corporal punishment is intended to drive troublemakers into a life of virtue.
—Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 22 Nov. 2024
Or deck out your house with nifty security devices like video doorbells and indoor cameras to keep an eye on pets, kids, and other troublemakers.
—Clara McMahon, People.com, 9 Oct. 2024
Workers, too, are increasingly leery of their employers, who, for their part, see those fighting for greater freedom of association as troublemakers.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for troublemakers
Noun
-
The overwhelming majority of experts dispute that torture actually works as an interrogation technique, arguing that any information that comes out of it is unreliable as people under duress will say anything needed to convince their torturers to stop.—
Ellen Mitchell,
The Hill,
5 Nov. 2025
-
For decades, generals, coup-plotters, and torturers walked free under the shield of amnesty laws passed after the country’s 21-year dictatorship.—
Julia Vargas Jones,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The Project Runway star shared teases of herself wearing green paint and prosthetics.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Nov. 2025
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Season one may only be six episodes, but it’s padded out with meandering subplots, vague teases for a second-season mystery, and one overly long and slow-motion-dependent scene at a nightclub.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
25 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Over a dozen agitators showed up to disrupt Sunday’s rally along Capitol Boulevard.—
Angela Palermo,
Idaho Statesman,
3 Nov. 2025
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And while some have crossed the line from peaceful protesters to violent agitators, violence already has ample legal remedies under state and federal law.—
Jason M. Blazakis,
Mercury News,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Troublemakers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/troublemakers. Accessed 24 Nov. 2025.
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