as in rebel
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent
a calculating provocateur, she has made a career out of controversy for its own sake
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of provocateur
Maybe Lanthimos is just in step with his moment — a madman provocateur for an increasingly mad world.
—
A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 21 June 2024
My sense is that people infatuated with this tinpot Marxist analysis enjoy the rush of feeling like the naughty provocateur without paying any real price for transgression.
—Lily Burana, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
Turning Point Action, founded by conservative provocateur Charlie Kirk, has held GOP vote-chasing events with at least 22 churches in six swing states since March, according to research conducted by the progressive watchdog group Documented and verified by NBC News.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024
Ultimately, Weems views her role as both artist and provocateur.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for provocateur 
A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 21 June 2024
My sense is that people infatuated with this tinpot Marxist analysis enjoy the rush of feeling like the naughty provocateur without paying any real price for transgression.
—Lily Burana, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
Turning Point Action, founded by conservative provocateur Charlie Kirk, has held GOP vote-chasing events with at least 22 churches in six swing states since March, according to research conducted by the progressive watchdog group Documented and verified by NBC News.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024
Ultimately, Weems views her role as both artist and provocateur.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for provocateur
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provocateur
Noun
-
What's New On Friday 170 House Republicans joined Democrats to approve an emergency funding bill just hours before a partial government shutdown was due to go into effect, despite President-elect Donald Trump's threat to oust any rebels.Gord Magill, Newsweek, 21 Dec. 2024
-
Over the years, there have also been news reports of Syrian rebels being treated in Israeli hospitals.Lauren Frayer, NPR, 20 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
In response to underground promoters delivering more raw and authentic EDM experiences in warehouse venues, proper nightclubs are tailoring their experiences accordingly.Rob Reed, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
-
In 1998, Congress passed the Copyright Term Extension Act, which is known as the Sonny Bono Act after its chief promoter on Capitol Hill.Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Now everyone, including the most radical agitators, is a publisher.David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024
-
Sign up March The veteran left-wing agitator George Galloway returns to Westminster for a three-month stint after winning a decisive victory in the Rochdale by-election.The Week UK, theweek, 25 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Doing so, proponents said, would help patients by easing shortages of healthcare providers who accept Medi-Cal.Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 27 Dec. 2024
-
Elon Musk, who has been a strong proponent of advanced uncrewed air combat systems, recently lambasted the F-35.David Faris, Newsweek, 27 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Vincent, with her beautifully aged face, is quietly mesmerizing; Ludivine Sagnier, as her hostile daughter, an absolute firebrand.Damon Wise, Deadline, 31 Dec. 2024
-
Crockett, a Democratic firebrand, also argued that Democrats should consider new approaches to leadership, noting House Republicans have term limits with their leadership positions.Jack Birle, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 29 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
Musk and Ramaswamy's views have sparked an online spat between factions of Trump's supporters over immigration and the tech industry, whose businesses rely on the H-1B visa to bring in thousands of foreign engineers and other skilled workers each year from India, China and other nations.Aimee Picchi, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2024
-
An online spat between factions of President-elect Donald Trump’s supporters over immigration and the tech industry has thrown internal divisions in his political movement into public display, previewing the fissures and contradictory views his coalition could bring to the White House.Michelle L. Price, Los Angeles Times, 28 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
So when a demagogue like Trump speaks to her pain and promises to bring factories back, of course her heart leaps.Nicholas Kristof, The Mercury News, 4 Sep. 2024
-
As a result, the very outcome the founders most feared, namely election of a demagogue by a gullible cult of true-believers, has been made possible because of the Electoral College, which was originally designed to avoid precisely that outcome.Joseph J. Ellis, The Mercury News, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
-
The country is now largely under the control of an insurgent group named Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS.Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
-
Initially a religious movement focused on promoting Yemen's Zaidi Shiite Muslim community, Ansar Allah grew into a powerful insurgent group that captured large swathes of northern territory, including Sanaa, between late 2014 and early 2015.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near provocateur
Cite this Entry
“Provocateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provocateur. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share