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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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
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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
Noun
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Fury’s legendary promoter, Frank Warren, seemed to take the announcement in stride.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes,
13 Jan. 2025
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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
Noun
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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
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On April 30, agitators who were said to identify as Zionist attacked the encampment.—
Orlando Mayorquín,
New York Times,
22 Dec. 2024
Noun
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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
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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In Los Feliz for more than a decade, Adomian is reputed as a vocal comedy-scene supporter and cheerleader.—
Julie Seabaugh,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Jan. 2025
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Junior is the pride of Colombia’s Atlantic coast, and Rodriguez is Colombia’s star man, idolized and protected by the national team’s loyal supporters in Barranquilla.—
Felipe Cardenas,
The Athletic,
15 Jan. 2025
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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In Myanmar, where the government regards any aid entering conflict zones as support for insurgents, that can mean international groups operate almost clandestinely to get lifesaving provisions to the local groups that can distribute them.—
Karl Vick,
TIME,
16 Jan. 2025
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While the military did not disclose details about the individuals killed, Balochistan has long been a hotspot for insurgent activity.—
John Mac Ghlionn,
Newsweek,
13 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near provocateur
Cite this Entry
“Provocateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provocateur. Accessed 22 Jan. 2025.
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