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
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Recent Examples of provocateur
This obsession would define his career, earning him a reputation as a provocateur in the fashion world.
—
Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2024
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
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
The big picture: Trump's senior advisers have tried for the past 1½ years to keep fringe provocateurs from appearing with him, at least in public.
—Alex Thompson, Axios, 13 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for provocateur 
Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Nov. 2024
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
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
The big picture: Trump's senior advisers have tried for the past 1½ years to keep fringe provocateurs from appearing with him, at least in public.
—Alex Thompson, Axios, 13 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for provocateur
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provocateur
Noun
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However, the rebels continue to launch attacks aimed at Israel, which has vowed to retaliate against Houthi leadership in the event of further aggression.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
20 Jan. 2025
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The four female protagonists in Nails rebel against society’s expectations of them with consequences for themselves and family and friends.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Seeking $16 million, Diaw's case has not yet been settled but is still moving forward despite Brown's tour promoter filing a motion to strike part of Diaw's allegations, Radar Online reported.—
Alex Heigl,
People.com,
23 Jan. 2025
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The company began as a nightlife promoter and record label in Los Angeles.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
22 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Columbia anti-Israel agitators barge into classroom, hand out antisemitic flyers Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted a History of Modern Israel class at Columbia University on the first day of the spring semester and handed out antisemitic flyers.—
Christina Coulter,
Fox News,
23 Jan. 2025
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Amid the conspiratorial swirl of antifa agitators and deep-state plots, a related narrative was gaining traction: the glorification of those who had attacked the Capitol.—
Dan Barry,
New York Times,
5 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Parts of Trump’s plan have some high-profile proponents: namely JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, the leader of the world’s largest bank.—
David Goldman,
CNN,
23 Jan. 2025
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On Wednesday, Senate Democrats blocked a bill that proponents said would ensure that newborns surviving abortions received medical care and critics said would add legal risks for doctors.—
John Yoo and John Shu,
Newsweek,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Such questions come after the Daily Mail and other outlets have reported in recent weeks that friends and members of the Trump family have become wary of Anderson, who began a romance with Trump Jr. last year when he was still engaged to MAGA firebrand Kimberly Guilfoyle.—
Martha Ross,
The Mercury News,
20 Jan. 2025
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Underscoring the populist-friendly tone of the new administration, expected inaugural attendees include Italy’s far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and British firebrand politician Nigel Farage.—
Laura King,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Andrew Taake, 36, was serving a 6-year sentence in a Colorado prison when President Donald Trump pardoned him and 1,500 other MAGA supporters for seizing the Capitol in protest of his 2020 election defeat.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
28 Jan. 2025
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The demonstrators lined the sidewalk on West Seventh Street near the Fort Worth Police & Firefighters Memorial, chanting and cheering as supporters drove past with Mexican flags waving, Mexican music blaring.—
Cody Copeland,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Trump’s statecraft is, in these respects, not the impulse of a misguided and capricious demagogue but an appropriate response to a changing world and a changing America.—
Charles A. Kupchan,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2025
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Many of the systems designed to constrain just such a demagogue have failed, with deferential courts in particular having let the former and soon-to-be president skate on nakedly anti-democratic conduct.—
Orlando Sentinel and New York Daily News Editorial Boards,
Orlando Sentinel,
7 Jan. 2025
Noun
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As was the case in the Middle East and Afghanistan, ISIS' West Africa Province (ISWAP) cultivated local partnerships by capitalizing on existing conflicts between government forces and insurgents, including Nigeria's powerful Boko Haram, to establish itself as a major player in the region.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
19 Jan. 2025
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After the election, Craig, who is 52 and was first elected in 2018, took on the old guard again, launching an insurgent challenge against two much more senior, septuagenarian lawmakers to be the top Democrat on the Agriculture Committee.—
Scott Wong,
NBC news,
31 Dec. 2024
Articles Related to provocateur
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Cite this Entry
“Provocateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provocateur. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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