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
Some of the anti-Israel agitators jumped into the stands and were quickly apprehended by security.
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Bradford Betz, Fox News, 19 Dec. 2024
He’s vowed to invest in an economy that is anti-woke, bolstering his cabinet with agitators—such as Brendan Carr, his choice for chair of the Federal Communications Commission—that have promised to end DEI.
—Jason Parham, WIRED, 21 Nov. 2024
Covering the agitator: Don't place anything on top of the agitator—doing so can get the agitator stuck mid-cycle and mess up your laundry.
—Rabekah Henderson, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2024
The attack on election security in Portland and Washington by a suspect whom evidence suggests could be a pro-Palestinian activist comes after both areas have been rocked by leftist agitators for years.
—Emily Hallas, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for agitator 
Bradford Betz, Fox News, 19 Dec. 2024
He’s vowed to invest in an economy that is anti-woke, bolstering his cabinet with agitators—such as Brendan Carr, his choice for chair of the Federal Communications Commission—that have promised to end DEI.
—Jason Parham, WIRED, 21 Nov. 2024
Covering the agitator: Don't place anything on top of the agitator—doing so can get the agitator stuck mid-cycle and mess up your laundry.
—Rabekah Henderson, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2024
The attack on election security in Portland and Washington by a suspect whom evidence suggests could be a pro-Palestinian activist comes after both areas have been rocked by leftist agitators for years.
—Emily Hallas, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for agitator
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitator
Noun
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In The Rise of Skywalker, the rebels manage to amass an army and take the fight to the evil Emperor Palpatine, who threatened to take over the galaxy with the biggest military force ever seen.Tommy Tuberville, Newsweek, 8 Jan. 2025
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Their nations have also tried to coordinate on policies toward Syria, where rebels recently toppled Bashar al-Assad, the longtime dictator.Edward Wong, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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But the political chaos provoked by the Dec. 3 martial law declaration is expected to continue, as Yoon and his ruling party supporters remain defiant against the insurrection charges.Se Eun Gong, NPR, 15 Jan. 2025
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Councilman Luis Rodriguez, who campaigned on preserving parks and green spaces in 2021, was among the key supporters of the charter school expansion.Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
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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
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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
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The Freedom Party, known as the FPÖ, and its firebrand leader, Herbert Kickl, were given the chance to form a governing coalition this week, after efforts to bar them from power collapsed.Jim Tankersley, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2025
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The president-elect has chosen former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi as his nominee to head the Justice Department and firebrand loyalist Kash Patel to head the FBI.Susan Page, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Fury’s legendary promoter, Frank Warren, seemed to take the announcement in stride.Brian Mazique, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
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This was just the latest in a series of moves—including elevating former Republican operative Joel Kaplan to chief global affairs officer and adding combat-sports promoter Dana White to Meta’s board—that seem to indicate the company is vying to get into the good graces of the new administration.Vittoria Elliott, WIRED, 7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Lately, proponents of the cull have pointed to a 2023 study by researchers from the Animal and Plant Health Agency, which seemed to show a reduction in bovine tuberculosis.Anna Russell, The New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2025
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Hours before this year’s legislative session formally began, proponents of school vouchers had already embarked on their push for what is likely to be one of the most contested topics in Idaho over the coming months.Ian Max Stevenson, Idaho Statesman, 7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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But the choices of Pam Bondi, a former Florida attorney general and Trump surrogate, to run the Justice Department and Kash Patel, a former Trump aide and far-right provocateur, to be director of the F.B.I. have put the issue front and center.Peter Baker, New York Times, 6 Dec. 2024
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Steve Bannon Steve Bannon, a right-wing provocateur and Trump’s former chief strategist, was convicted of two counts of contempt of Congress after refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena related to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack.Ella Lee, The Hill, 29 Nov. 2024
Noun
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In Myanmar, where the government regards any aid entering conflict zones as support for insurgents, that can mean international groups operate almost clandestinely to get lifesaving provisions to the local groups that can distribute them.Karl Vick, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025
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While the military did not disclose details about the individuals killed, Balochistan has long been a hotspot for insurgent activity.John Mac Ghlionn, Newsweek, 13 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near agitator
Cite this Entry
“Agitator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agitator. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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