as in rebels
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent
a firebrand who urged crowds to riot during the blackouts
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Recent Examples of firebrands
Inmates including Sam Bankman-Fried and Harvey Weinstein have turned to such right-wing firebrands as Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens to present alternative narratives to their cases.
—
Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
In the 1980s, right-wing firebrands such as Jerry Falwell and Anita Bryant claimed that the AIDS epidemic was a plague sent by God to punish gay people.
—Hillary Rodham Clinton, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Trump’s proposal echoes a long-standing push by progressive Democrats and a few conservative firebrands on Capitol Hill to implement credit card interest rate caps, which would limit the fee a card issuer can charge consumers who carry a balance past their due date.
—Sudiksha Kochi, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2026
While Collier and Stewart have accepted the duty to be labor firebrands, one of their UConn teammates, Morgan Tuck, is making her mark on the management side, as the youngest GM in the WNBA.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 15 Jan. 2026
That includes collaborations in-the-round with Denver’s Nathaniel Rateliff and DeVotchKa, as well as indie firebrands The Flaming Lips, in addition to standard orchestral fare and familiar classical-crossover acts such as Andrea Bocelli and Lindsey Stirling.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2025
The heavy concentrations of dead and down fuels will complicate containment efforts and provide sources for firebrands and ember cast when adjacent to control lines.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2025
But just as McCarthy’s picks were considered conservative firebrands, Moskowitz and Crockett are vocal Democratic members whose use of social media and outspoken rhetoric has earned them a high place in the party’s standings.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 8 Sep. 2025
Andrew Zucker, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
In the 1980s, right-wing firebrands such as Jerry Falwell and Anita Bryant claimed that the AIDS epidemic was a plague sent by God to punish gay people.
—Hillary Rodham Clinton, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026
Trump’s proposal echoes a long-standing push by progressive Democrats and a few conservative firebrands on Capitol Hill to implement credit card interest rate caps, which would limit the fee a card issuer can charge consumers who carry a balance past their due date.
—Sudiksha Kochi, The Hill, 15 Jan. 2026
While Collier and Stewart have accepted the duty to be labor firebrands, one of their UConn teammates, Morgan Tuck, is making her mark on the management side, as the youngest GM in the WNBA.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 15 Jan. 2026
That includes collaborations in-the-round with Denver’s Nathaniel Rateliff and DeVotchKa, as well as indie firebrands The Flaming Lips, in addition to standard orchestral fare and familiar classical-crossover acts such as Andrea Bocelli and Lindsey Stirling.
—John Wenzel, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2025
The heavy concentrations of dead and down fuels will complicate containment efforts and provide sources for firebrands and ember cast when adjacent to control lines.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 Sep. 2025
But just as McCarthy’s picks were considered conservative firebrands, Moskowitz and Crockett are vocal Democratic members whose use of social media and outspoken rhetoric has earned them a high place in the party’s standings.
—Rachel Schilke, The Washington Examiner, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for firebrands
Noun
-
Aleppo had fallen to the rebels by the time Assad landed back in Damascus.—
Robert F. Worth,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
-
According to a United Nations report, since seizing Rubaya, the rebels have imposed taxes on the trade and transport of coltan, generating at least $800,000 a month.—
Justin Kabumba,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Garvey is just one of hundreds of anti-government operatives training agitators to interfere with federal law enforcement.—
Asra Q. Nomani , Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi,
FOXNews.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Has not the potential of violence been lit up when local law enforcement is nowhere to be found when protesters and agitators descend upon the hotels where ICE is staying?—
Voice of the People,
New York Daily News,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Without a robust legitimacy narrative, demagogues fill the vacuum.—
Annelise Riles,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
-
In turn, the erosion of trust has weakened the social contract that sustains representative government, leaving democracies more vulnerable to populist demagogues, institutional paralysis, and the gradual normalization of authoritarian alternatives.—
NIC CHEESEMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Some religious leaders oppose practice While proponents point to environmental benefits, human composting is not universally accepted.—
Hannah Kliger,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
-
At the time, proponents of the bill mentioned that it could also be used to crack down on Spring Breakers.—
Shira Moolten,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Those funds often backed far-right Republican insurgents.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Amid the nods to social media and cancel culture and the shallow perils of modern celebrity, the image of Taylor-Joy’s disciplined group of insurgents, who speak in almost archaic, poetic dialogue, strikes a bracing contrast.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
If dialogue or compromise were to take place, his sacred image would collapse in the eyes of his supporters.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
6 Feb. 2026
-
On the other hand, the court upheld limits on what supporters can contribute directly.—
Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Ticket-holders of Ball Arena concerts, typically sold through Ticketmaster, will receive an email with refund or exchange details, according to promoters.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The early promoters of the organic-farming movement prioritized soil quality and the sustainability of agricultural practices.—
Annie Levin,
Washington Post,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There were right-wing provocateurs coming to town.—
Anne Applebaum,
The Atlantic,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Third parties, which are usually based on fringe views or a sense of grievance, are vehicles for ideologues, provocateurs and contrarians whose appeal is as limited as their problem-solving skills.—
Newsweek Contributors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Firebrands.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firebrands. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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