as in rebel
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent
a firebrand who urged crowds to riot during the blackouts
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Recent Examples of firebrand
An angry deity hurled a firebrand at the swallow, singeing away its middle tail feathers.
—
Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
Continue reading … VETTING FAILURE — Far-left firebrand dodges questions over hiring bodyguard with criminal history.
—FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Menken, a firebrand actor and poet, is perhaps best remembered for her performance as the traditionally male lead in the Byronic hippodrama Mazeppa.
—Betsy Golden Kellem, JSTOR Daily, 18 Mar. 2026
The race pits a centrist sitting governor, Janet Mills, against a progressive firebrand, Graham Platner, an oyster farmer, military veteran and former private military contractor who has built momentum in recent months.
—Fin Daniel Gómez, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for firebrand
Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 21 Mar. 2026
Continue reading … VETTING FAILURE — Far-left firebrand dodges questions over hiring bodyguard with criminal history.
—FOXNews.com, 20 Mar. 2026
Menken, a firebrand actor and poet, is perhaps best remembered for her performance as the traditionally male lead in the Byronic hippodrama Mazeppa.
—Betsy Golden Kellem, JSTOR Daily, 18 Mar. 2026
The race pits a centrist sitting governor, Janet Mills, against a progressive firebrand, Graham Platner, an oyster farmer, military veteran and former private military contractor who has built momentum in recent months.
—Fin Daniel Gómez, CBS News, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for firebrand
Recent Examples of Synonyms for firebrand
Noun
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As the decade wore on, though, my parents grew up—as happens to young rebels—and my mother, unexpectedly, started thinking about having kids.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
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Their work and mental health were further disrupted when Houthi rebels in Yemen began attacking ships in the Red Sea, with at least nine sailors killed and 11 others held captive for five months.—
Mithil Aggarwal,
NBC news,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Columbia students, along with outside agitators, broke into an academic building and temporarily detained the janitors inside.—
Rose Horowitch,
The Atlantic,
25 Mar. 2026
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But other than Bedard and MacKenzie Weegar getting into it a couple of times, Mangiapane was the only real agitator the Blackhawks had.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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While proponents say changes have made streets safer, critics suspect projects that reduce space for cars will only make traffic congestion worse — even after the construction disruptions end.—
Bruce Finley,
Denver Post,
29 Mar. 2026
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But the firm’s been arguably the leading proponent in America for making owners of the rank-in-file.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Certainly Arendt, who lived through arguably darker times, did not see them as merely a product of the era’s monstrous demagogues.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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Following the outbreak of COVID-19, bias incidents and assaults against Asian Americans soared to alarming heights as demagogues on the streets and in high office inflamed xenophobic fear and animosity.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Both Turkish fans described a warm welcome from Kosovo supporters in the capital city.—
Greg O'Keeffe,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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Our financial supporters are not involved in any decisions about our journalism.—
Annalisa Merelli,
STAT,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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As live performances became a more important source of revenue for artists and promoters, these factors contributed to a sustained rise in ticket costs, widening the gap between general consumer prices and the cost of attending major concerts.—
byDoug Ashburn,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
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And so, Mitski’s team left it to concert promoter Goldenvoice to coordinate, getting in touch with Hollywood High School principal Samual Dovlatian.—
Ethan Millman,
HollywoodReporter,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The act as insurgent against privilege, set to die in the rot of reason.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
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Mills’s primary opponent, oyster farmer and progressive insurgent Graham Platner, echoed other outsiders last year in calling for Schumer to lose his leadership post over his government shutdown dealings with Republicans.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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And, of course, radio jokester and provocateur Stern.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
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The growth has elevated her from partisan provocateur to one of the most influential — and polarizing — voices on the right.—
Kevin Dolak,
HollywoodReporter,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Firebrand.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firebrand. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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