as in rebel
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent
a political agitator who led an unsuccessful revolt against the government
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Recent Examples of agitator
Amid the conspiratorial swirl of antifa agitators and deep-state plots, a related narrative was gaining traction: the glorification of those who had attacked the Capitol.
—
Dan Barry, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025
Concrete trucks routinely queued up on nearby streets before departing right on La Brea Avenue with their agitator drums turning.
—Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
The tech billionaire has called for new elections in the U.K., criticizing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and voicing support for far-right figures in the country such as Nigel Farage, head of the Reform party, and Tommy Robinson, an anti-immigrant agitator.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 6 Jan. 2025
On April 30, agitators who were said to identify as Zionist attacked the encampment.
—Orlando Mayorquín, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for agitator
Dan Barry, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025
Concrete trucks routinely queued up on nearby streets before departing right on La Brea Avenue with their agitator drums turning.
—Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
The tech billionaire has called for new elections in the U.K., criticizing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and voicing support for far-right figures in the country such as Nigel Farage, head of the Reform party, and Tommy Robinson, an anti-immigrant agitator.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 6 Jan. 2025
On April 30, agitators who were said to identify as Zionist attacked the encampment.
—Orlando Mayorquín, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for agitator
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitator
Noun
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On the battlefield, the nobles’ cavalry and superior artillery brutally cut down the rebels.—
Michael Bruening,
The Conversation,
25 Feb. 2025
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The rebels on Friday also claimed to have seized a second airport in the region, in the town of Kavumu outside Bukavu.—
JUSTIN KABUMBA,
arkansasonline.com,
16 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The arrest was triggered by tips to Austrian intelligence that a supporter of IS had posted stories and videos with Islamic extremist content on several TikTok profiles.—
Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports,
arkansasonline.com,
20 Feb. 2025
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But business allies and supporters of tech companies criticized the announcement.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN,
20 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Many Latines who are conservative in the U.S. come from countries where similar right-wing demagogues were elected in the last decade.—
Nicole Froio,
refinery29.com,
6 Nov. 2024
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Trump’s statecraft is, in these respects, not the impulse of a misguided and capricious demagogue but an appropriate response to a changing world and a changing America.—
Charles A. Kupchan,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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This year, the Super Bowl booked Compton firebrand Kendrick Lamar, offering a former award-show rabble-rouser an audience with President Trump in attendance.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
10 Feb. 2025
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Former Trump adviser and right-wing firebrand Steve Bannon issued a blistering attack on tech moguls Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg during an interview with NPR ahead of President-elect Trump’s inauguration Monday.—
Dominick Mastrangelo,
The Hill,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
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My team and the promoters are already working on a new date to communicate to you.—
Tracy Wright,
Fox News,
16 Feb. 2025
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The singer noted the show will be postponed to a later date and said her team is working with the concert promoter on rescheduling.—
Edward Segarra,
USA TODAY,
16 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The 43-year-old former football player has been a longtime, outspoken proponent of LGBTQ rights.—
David K. Li,
NBC News,
20 Feb. 2025
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Indirect-cost rates are controversial: The proportion of NIH funding that has gone to them has grown over time, and proponents of trimming overhead argue that doing so would make research more efficient.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
19 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Kash Patel, conspiracy theorist, January 6 denier, MAGA sycophant and political provocateur, will be FBI director.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
20 Feb. 2025
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One older man violently accosts Noam over her views, calling her a provocateur.—
Marya E. Gates,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Britain, under the comparatively liberal Keir Starmer, has a rather more niche anxiety: that its citizens will leave and then return as insurgents.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
24 Jan. 2025
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Pakistani security forces killed 27 insurgents during a raid on a militant hideout, according to a statement from the country's military.—
John Mac Ghlionn,
Newsweek,
13 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agitator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agitator. Accessed 2 Mar. 2025.
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