as in proponent
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent
an instigator who always managed to be innocently standing by once the fighting began
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of instigator
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra at the time downplayed the confrontation, with the Heat routinely making peace after acquiring former Heat instigators.
—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
28 June 2026
Which is why this opinion piece speculates that the spending effect of growth in the form of high demand for all things Swift and World Cup is a relative growth somnolent as opposed to an instigator.
—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
The parents, arguably the film’s first instigators, operate based off fear of their children’s sexuality.
—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
19 June 2026
The Aussies aren’t the sole instigators, according to them.
—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
18 June 2026
Rimet, the instigator of the World Cup, was an enthusiastic supporter of professional soccer at a time when amateur sport was considered superior.
—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
There are leaders, lurkers, peacekeepers, instigators, and the person who only surfaces to drop an occasional thumbs-up.
—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
18 May 2026
More often than not, junior shortstop Mei Shirokawa is the instigator for Burlington Central.
—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
In part, Turner’s own frustration with television news was the instigator.
—
David Bauder,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
28 June 2026
Which is why this opinion piece speculates that the spending effect of growth in the form of high demand for all things Swift and World Cup is a relative growth somnolent as opposed to an instigator.
—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
The parents, arguably the film’s first instigators, operate based off fear of their children’s sexuality.
—
Arushi Jacob,
Variety,
19 June 2026
The Aussies aren’t the sole instigators, according to them.
—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
18 June 2026
Rimet, the instigator of the World Cup, was an enthusiastic supporter of professional soccer at a time when amateur sport was considered superior.
—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
There are leaders, lurkers, peacekeepers, instigators, and the person who only surfaces to drop an occasional thumbs-up.
—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
18 May 2026
More often than not, junior shortstop Mei Shirokawa is the instigator for Burlington Central.
—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
In part, Turner’s own frustration with television news was the instigator.
—
David Bauder,
Fortune,
6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigator
Noun
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Stream-access proponents took a similar approach in 2010, after a landowner on the Taylor River strung cables from bank to bank to keep a rafting company from floating down.
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There isn't time for proponents to get a new measure on this year's ballot and state law requires any measures brought in odd years be limited to questions related to the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR).
Noun
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To his supporters, Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was the steadfast, fearless leader who transcended mere politics and inspired devotion.
-
Hundreds of supporters gathered to cheer her arrival after nearly a month and a half at sea.
Noun
-
As genetics, psychology, and neuroscience ascended, the twentieth century sent physiognomy back into disrepute, and today, from Lavater to Lombroso, its promoters may seem a racist shade of quaint.
-
During The Huns’ audition at the Cellar, Nugent was standing next to club owner/promoter Paul Sampson, who was skeptical of the group’s Catholic schoolboy looks — braces, short haircuts and all.
Noun
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Gillespie also has a reputation for melding music to movies, as seen in Cruella, his 2021 movie that cast Disney villainess Cruella de Vil as a punk rock rebel in London’s fashion scene.
-
The winner is the daughter of the late Alberto Fujimori, the former president whose government in the 1990s defeated the Shining Path extremist rebel group but also took an authoritarian turn.
Noun
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While advocates for court reporters say humans can still do the job better than machines, the fact that many hearings occur without any official transcript at all has drawn concern from top state officials.
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Human rights advocates have also welcomed Jin’s release but cautioned that many members of Zion Church still remain behind bars.
Noun
-
Videos showed police beating back agitators with batons and deploying anti-riot ordnance as the demonstrators chanted against the country's conservative Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in a massive political rally.
-
White attributed most of the hateful comments to online agitators rather than true WNBA or Indiana Fever fans.
Noun
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An anti-Israel protester who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of a pro-Israel demonstrator in California was sentenced to one year in county jail this week.
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In a new video, the pilot showed how he was allowed hands-on time with a simulator for the company’s XB-1 demonstrator aircraft and its planned Overture passenger jet.
Noun
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The Onion is pressing ahead with its takeover of InfoWars, the conspiracy-laden media empire formerly owned by far-right provocateur Alex Jones.
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The height of her popularity came during her 12-year relationship with French provocateur Serge Gainsbourg.
Cite this Entry
“Instigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigator. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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