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
Maybe Lanthimos is just in step with his moment — a madman provocateur for an increasingly mad world.
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A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 21 June 2024
My sense is that people infatuated with this tinpot Marxist analysis enjoy the rush of feeling like the naughty provocateur without paying any real price for transgression.
—Lily Burana, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
Turning Point Action, founded by conservative provocateur Charlie Kirk, has held GOP vote-chasing events with at least 22 churches in six swing states since March, according to research conducted by the progressive watchdog group Documented and verified by NBC News.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024
Ultimately, Weems views her role as both artist and provocateur.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for provocateur 
A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 21 June 2024
My sense is that people infatuated with this tinpot Marxist analysis enjoy the rush of feeling like the naughty provocateur without paying any real price for transgression.
—Lily Burana, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
Turning Point Action, founded by conservative provocateur Charlie Kirk, has held GOP vote-chasing events with at least 22 churches in six swing states since March, according to research conducted by the progressive watchdog group Documented and verified by NBC News.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024
Ultimately, Weems views her role as both artist and provocateur.
—Okla Jones, Essence, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for provocateur
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provocateur
Noun
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At the Court of Justice in Damascus, which was stormed by the rebels to free detainees, Judge Khitam Haddad, an aide to the justice minister in the outgoing government, said Sunday that judges were ready to resume work quickly.SARAH EL DEEB, arkansasonline.com, 10 Dec. 2024
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As Bashar al-Assad's government collapsed and Syrian rebels rose to power, Israel embarked on an extensive bombing campaign, purportedly aimed at disarming extremists who may rise to power during the unrest.Joseph Epstein, Newsweek, 10 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Trump's pick for the head of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has been a staunch promoter of anti-vaccination policies and has pushed for the end of fluoride in water supplies.Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 26 Nov. 2024
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Yet the volume of the commentary about the Tyson fight, as well as the celebrities and public figures who chimed in, compelled the promoter to defend itself, an unusual step in the boxing world.Jason Clinkscales, Sportico.com, 25 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Elphaba is radicalized into terrorism when her favorite college professor, the Goat and Animal rights agitator Doctor Dillamond, is assassinated by the government.Constance Grady, Vox, 20 Nov. 2024
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Days earlier, Spanish media reported that anti-Israel agitators would protest outside the stadium to target Israel’s soccer club and its fans.Scott McDonald, Fox News, 8 Nov. 2024
Noun
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And, unlike financial commitments made at the UN climate conference, this decision would put rules in place that proponents say would be hard for the incoming Trump administration to undo.Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 13 Dec. 2024
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In 2023, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the opponents, halting the project, but proponents petitioned the Supreme Court to review that decision.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
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House Republican leader, Newt Gingrich, led a rebellion against the package, and conservative firebrand Pat Buchanan challenged Bush in the 1992 primaries, weakening Bush's bid for a second term.Ron Elving, NPR, 7 Dec. 2024
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Now, the former prosecutor and conservative firebrand’s political career hangs by a thread, with an impeachment motion against him underway and the country’s leader rapidly losing support even within his own ruling party.Helen Regan, CNN, 5 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The comments, published in 2023 biography of Romney, were sparked by Vance's transformation from a Trump critic to a staunch supporter.Zac Anderson, The Enquirer, 16 Dec. 2024
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The head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, is one of Putin’s staunchest backers and a vocal supporter of the war in Ukraine.Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 16 Dec. 2024
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 country is now largely under the control of an insurgent group named Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS.Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024
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Initially a religious movement focused on promoting Yemen's Zaidi Shiite Muslim community, Ansar Allah grew into a powerful insurgent group that captured large swathes of northern territory, including Sanaa, between late 2014 and early 2015.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near provocateur
Cite this Entry
“Provocateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provocateur. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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