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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
Yemen’s Houthi rebels continue to attack shipping traffic through the Red Sea, but an emboldened Israel has scored direct hits against its fighters, including inside Yemen itself.—
Ian Bremmer,
TIME,
2 Feb. 2025
-
Though it is touted by many as the world’s best missile defense, attacks by Iran last year showed that the Iron Done is far from unbeatable, with projectiles fired by Tehran and Houthi rebels landing in Israel.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN,
31 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Lester was also a large promoter of agriculture for the county and state.—
Contributed Content,
Twin Cities,
6 Feb. 2025
-
Concert venues, party promoters and event creators are pulling out all of the stops, presenting a bevy of opportunities for Chicagoans to celebrate the big day, whether with their beloved or with a group of friends.—
Britt Julious,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
At first, the government tried to ignore the protests, then began to use force and accused the protests of being infiltrated by foreign agitators.—
Chris Massaro,
Fox News,
31 Jan. 2025
-
Some of those who have previously advanced Trump’s interests in Europe now see Musk as an unfettered, even less polished version of the president; an agitator whose style and ambition has come to mirror Trump’s.—
Rob Picheta,
CNN,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
White-Cain is a proponent of the prosperity theology, which is centered around financial and physical well-being being done through the will of God.—
Yaakov Katz,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 2025
-
Others might argue that Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos is an enthusiastic proponent of freedom of expression.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
4 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
The conservative media firebrand, a leading MAGA voice, has already noted his dissent against Trump's alignment with SpaceX CEO Elon Musk — but the president-elect has seemingly sided with the world's richest man.—
Avery Lotz,
Axios,
19 Jan. 2025
-
In the first days of last week’s firestorm, crews were on the defensive as extreme winds blew red-hot firebrand and embers across the landscape, starting fires faster than they could be put out.—
Hannah Fry,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Still, some Trump supporters are eager for a tougher approach.—
Joel Rose,
NPR,
8 Feb. 2025
-
While many Americans believe that Washington’s bureaucracy is inefficient and even wasteful, government programs also have their strong supporters.—
Henry Gass,
The Christian Science Monitor,
7 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Many Latines who are conservative in the U.S. come from countries where similar right-wing demagogues were elected in the last decade.—
Nicole Froio,
refinery29.com,
6 Nov. 2024
-
Trump’s statecraft is, in these respects, not the impulse of a misguided and capricious demagogue but an appropriate response to a changing world and a changing America.—
Charles A. Kupchan,
The Atlantic,
10 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The day was marked by mixed emotions as two of our volunteers, Samuel and Harut, learned that Syrian towns had fallen to insurgents after Bashar al-Assad's exit.—
Anders Fogh Rasmussen,
Newsweek,
4 Feb. 2025
-
Alia Shawkat stars as an aspiring actress in a military role-playing facility who falls in love with a soldier (Callum Turner) cast as an insurgent, but their unsimulated emotions threaten to derail the performance.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
31 Jan. 2025
Articles Related to provocateur
Thesaurus Entries Near provocateur
Cite this Entry
“Provocateur.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/provocateur. Accessed 13 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share