instigator

noun

Definition of instigatornext
as in proponent
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent an instigator who always managed to be innocently standing by once the fighting began

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigator
  1. proponent
  2. supporter
  3. promoter
  4. rebel
  5. advocate
  6. agitator
  7. demonstrator
  8. firebrand
Noun
  • 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
  • That will shift the domestic balance of power away from proponents of the green transition.
    Matias Spektor, Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
Definition of proponent
Noun
  • Carrie Underwood’s decision to perform at Donald Trump’s inauguration next week has found an unlikely supporter in Whoopi Goldberg.
    Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 15 Jan. 2025
  • Henry could have followed the French practice of appointing judges who effectively made the decisions to favor supporters and punish enemies.
    Steve Denning, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
Definition of supporter
Noun
  • Fury’s legendary promoter, Frank Warren, seemed to take the announcement in stride.
    Brian Mazique, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
  • 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
Definition of promoter
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of rebel
Noun
  • Some legislators and advocates say faster results would allow less time for misinformation about election administration to take hold.
    Ashley Lopez, NPR, 16 Jan. 2025
  • Also, a coalition of patients, doctors and advocates plan to gather outside the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday to highlight the human impact of care denials by health insurers.
    Tami Luhby, CNN, 16 Jan. 2025
Definition of advocate
Noun
  • 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
Definition of agitator
Noun
  • Advertisement An hour after the protest began, police escorted some demonstrators out of the office space.
    Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025
  • After his comments, three demonstrators spoke out about the California wildfires, which have killed dozens and been linked to climate change.
    Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2025
Definition of demonstrator
Noun
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of firebrand
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near instigator

instigative

instigator

instigators

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Instigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigator. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on instigator

Nglish: Translation of instigator for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of instigator for Arabic Speakers

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