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
Republicans have dismissed the intense district meetings, arguing the events are being filled with Democratic agitators.
—
Julia Manchester, The Hill, 19 Mar. 2025
Musk also took time out of his schedule to endorse Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party and participated in an online campaign to convince British officials to release far-right agitator Tommy Robinson.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2025
DeJean, meanwhile, has proven himself a versatile agitator already.
—Tim Graham, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
President Trump is committed to holding these radical agitators accountable and deporting non-citizens who are conducting this behavior.
—Kaity Kline, NPR, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agitator
Julia Manchester, The Hill, 19 Mar. 2025
Musk also took time out of his schedule to endorse Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany party and participated in an online campaign to convince British officials to release far-right agitator Tommy Robinson.
—William Gavin, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2025
DeJean, meanwhile, has proven himself a versatile agitator already.
—Tim Graham, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
President Trump is committed to holding these radical agitators accountable and deporting non-citizens who are conducting this behavior.
—Kaity Kline, NPR, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for agitator
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitator
Noun
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The new campaign of airstrikes started after the rebels threatened to resume targeting Israeli ships over Israel’s blocking of aid entering the Gaza Strip.—
Jon Gambrell,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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Its members include Lebanon's Hezbollah, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq and Yemen's Houthi rebels.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In a statement posted to X, Taylor congratulated Lee and acknowledged the impact of his supporters.—
Oumou Fofana,
Essence,
21 Apr. 2025
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Some supporters even lost the will to protest, feeling nothing will change.—
Rob Tanner,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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And so political leaders, demagogues in particular, can provide simple answers to things that seem very complicated and that stir people in a way that can be directed.—
Sean Illing,
Vox,
22 Feb. 2025
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That’s classically how a demagogue works and how a demagogue becomes a tyrant.—
Sean Illing,
Vox,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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The senator’s appearance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is consistent with his popularity among young progressives who admire him as an uncompromising and outspoken firebrand.—
Matthew Mpoke Bigg,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2025
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Buchanan wore his Nixon loyalty as a badge of honor throughout his career as a conservative firebrand.—
Made by History,
TIME,
24 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The merger proposal drew concern from competing concert promoters and venue owners, who claimed at the time that combining Ticketmaster and Live Nation would force them to work with their largest competitor.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Apr. 2025
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The concept of WrestleMania was created by Vince McMahon, a second-generation wrestling promoter who served as the CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) for four decades before resigning from his role with the company in 2024.—
Mark LaSota,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Prospective visitors, along with park proponents, are concerned about what the parks and experiences may look like after the sweeping layoffs across the National Park Service and the larger federal government in February.—
Eve Chen,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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Plan proponents saw this as a way to combat the district’s funding problems.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Johansen has long been a beloved figure on the New York scene, beginning with his time as the lead singer and provocateur of the gender-bending New York Dolls.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
10 Feb. 2025
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The debate touched off this week when Laura Loomer, a right-wing provocateur with a history of racist and conspiratorial comments, criticized Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as an adviser on artificial intelligence policy in his coming administration.—
Michelle L. Price,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Dec. 2024
Noun
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His unit was in western Iraq, at a time of fierce fighting against insurgent forces and car bombs.—
Quil Lawrence,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2025
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But when the streets ominously clear out and their sniper is spotted, they're forced to engage in a fierce battle with al-Qaeda insurgents.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
1 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Agitator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agitator. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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