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
As evidence seems to implicate Russian agents in the attack, Mullen grows obsessed with a leftist hacktivist collective, a provocateur talk show host (Dan Stevens) who fans the conspiratorial flames and an extremist tech billionaire (Gaby Hoffman) who would be happy to tear the whole system down.
—
Chris Vognar, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Then, far-right provocateur Laura Loomer chimed in, criticizing President-elect Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as White House policy adviser on artificial intelligence.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 28 Dec. 2024
In Arizona, Trump has relied on Turning Point USA, the organization founded by conservative podcaster and provocateur Charlie Kirk, who focuses on turning out low-propensity voters such as college students.
—Faith E. Pinho, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024
At the kick-off the veteran punk provocateurs’ Australian tour on Saturday (March 1) at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, Armstrong once again switched up the lyrics to one of the band’s songs to send a unequivocal, harsh message to the current American administration.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for provocateur
Chris Vognar, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
Then, far-right provocateur Laura Loomer chimed in, criticizing President-elect Trump’s selection of Sriram Krishnan as White House policy adviser on artificial intelligence.
—Filip Timotija, The Hill, 28 Dec. 2024
In Arizona, Trump has relied on Turning Point USA, the organization founded by conservative podcaster and provocateur Charlie Kirk, who focuses on turning out low-propensity voters such as college students.
—Faith E. Pinho, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024
At the kick-off the veteran punk provocateurs’ Australian tour on Saturday (March 1) at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium, Armstrong once again switched up the lyrics to one of the band’s songs to send a unequivocal, harsh message to the current American administration.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for provocateur
Recent Examples of Synonyms for provocateur
Noun
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Ooh, rendezvous with the hot rebel in the forest! 50.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
21 Mar. 2025
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Aiding the princess is a band of rebels led by the dashing Jonathan (Tony winner Andrew Burnap).—
Patrick Gomez,
EW.com,
21 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Flea, Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench The concert was the latest in this format presented by veteran promoter and Knitting Factory founder Michael Dorf, who has staged 20 of them since 2006’s inaugural Joni Mitchell tribute.—
Caryn Rose,
Variety,
27 Mar. 2025
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Jackson, 58, said in a statement shared by promoters.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
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President Trump is committed to holding these radical agitators accountable and deporting non-citizens who are conducting this behavior.—
Kaity Kline,
NPR,
20 Mar. 2025
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Republicans have blamed many of those confrontations on Democratic activists and agitators.—
Julia Manchester,
The Hill,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
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However, proponents believe navel pulling can offer all these benefits and enhance overall vitality.2 Much of this practice is rooted in Ayurveda, an alternative approach to medicine that has existed for thousands of years.—
Sherri Gordon,
Health,
26 Mar. 2025
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Musk and other autonomous vehicle proponents have pushed for simpler rules and exemptions to restrictions on vehicles that don’t have human controls.—
Bloomberg,
The Mercury News,
25 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Ortenberg was an early champion of Moore, releasing in 2004 the Flint, Michigan firebrand’s Fahrenheit 9/11 — a connect-the-dots investigation of the George W. Bush presidency, the Iraq war, and corrupt wartime profiteering — which still stands as the highest-grossing documentary of all time.—
Chris Lee,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2025
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Before Trump returned to power, Canada’s Liberals – in power for nearly a decade – appeared bereft of energy and ideas, with polls showing them on track for a heavy defeat to the Conservatives, led by the firebrand Pierre Poilievre.—
Christian Edwards,
CNN,
17 Mar. 2025
Noun
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About forty per cent of the graduates of the Army’s infantry officer schools, Peri notes, come from the dati leumi, or nationalist Orthodox minority, many of them extremist yeshiva students and supporters of settlements.—
Bernard Avishai,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2025
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The good news for supporters of seven of the Premier League’s 20 clubs is that their lads will play for a trip to Wembley Stadium in next month’s FA Cup semi-finals at some point over the weekend.—
Dan Sheldon,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Trump is an evil demagogue who throws horrible stuff at us about this populist moment.—
Ailia Zehra,
The Hill,
10 Mar. 2025
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And so political leaders, demagogues in particular, can provide simple answers to things that seem very complicated and that stir people in a way that can be directed.—
Sean Illing,
Vox,
22 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Warfare plots, in real time, a surveillance mission in Ramadi gone awry when nearby Al Qaeda insurgents detonate a series of IEDs outside a housing building which the team has taken over.—
Gregory Nussen,
Deadline,
28 Mar. 2025
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The sniper gun is peering through an eight-inch-wide hole blasted into the wall, and the insurgents, having figured out that the Americans are in there, toss a grenade through the hole.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
28 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Provocateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provocateur. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
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