agitators

noun

plural of agitator
as in rebels
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent a political agitator who led an unsuccessful revolt against the government

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 agitators Now, Bartko fears death in a Kansas prison cell or deportation to Belarus, where her friends have been prosecuted as political agitators. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026 For several years before the IAU vote, there had been agitators among the astronomical community lobbying for our solar system's nine worlds to become eight, and for Pluto's planetary status to be revoked. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026 Tibbetts wants fans to blame outside agitators for ruining the league's momentum. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Some of the speculation comes from state workers who are unhappy with the governor’s decision, the moderator said, but the subreddit’s activity also attracts outside agitators who are obviously not government employees. — William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 21 July 2026 Top-load washers with agitators or impellers clean tough fabrics well by physically moving clothes to loosen dirt. — Maria Sabella, The Spruce, 20 July 2026 Across the country, agitators on the left and the right are increasingly flirting with antisemitic tropes, conspiracy theories and in-jokes to bring in new followers. — Will Carless, USA Today, 10 July 2026 White attributed most of the hateful comments to online agitators rather than true WNBA or Indiana Fever fans. — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026 The majority of speakers at Tuesday’s board meeting urged the board not to allow online agitators to dictate personnel decisions. — Ciara McCarthy 24, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for agitators
  1. rebels
  2. insurgents
  3. supporters
  4. provocateurs
  5. promoters
  6. proponents
  7. demagogues
  8. instigators
Noun
  • Al-Sharaa ousted President Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 in an offensive led by HTS rebels.
    — Emma Bussey, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
  • The designation remained throughout the rule of his son Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled by rebels led by current President Ahmed al-Sharaa in December 2024.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of rebels
Noun
  • Israel, meanwhile, has remained suspicious of the new authorities in Damascus, led by former Islamist insurgents.
    — Andrew Wilks, Los Angeles Times, 22 Aug. 2026
  • In both races, the two incumbents faced insurgents who ran under the democratic socialist banner with campaigns that emphasized universal health care, cost-of-living concerns and opposition to Israel.
    — Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of insurgents
Noun
  • Was The Friedkin Group's decision not to sell the homegrown midfielder a victory for those loyal supporters who campaigned to keep him?
    — Leon Imber, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Capcom has proven itself to be one of the platform's biggest supporters, bringing nearly all of its new and old releases to the platform.
    — Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of supporters
Noun
  • The faux outrage was egged on by professional right-wing provocateurs like Robby Starbuck, Benny Johnson and a leading investor in MAGA darling Steak n’ Shake.
    — Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN Money, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Global organizations navigate a complex landscape, prompting boards to evolve beyond traditional oversight into strategic provocateurs.
    — Anna Marks, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of provocateurs
Noun
  • The promoters also raised ticket prices 15 to 20 percent for the Sprint-format finale.
    — Madeline Coleman, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The tech experts and leadership promoters are easier to identify.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of promoters
Noun
  • The gloves deliver can an electrical shock strong enough to drop a strong man to his knees in an instant, and proponents say the gloves provide a fast and non-lethal way to subdue a person.
    — Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The memo is a bit surprising considering Gates still advises Microsoft, one of the major proponents of the technology, and an investor in OpenAI.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of proponents
Noun
  • In recent years, totalizing ideologies such as communism, fascism, and Islamism have found dedicated audiences on social media, and the proliferation of demagogues manipulating people for malign ends is an ever-present worry.
    — James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026
  • And as Netanyahu’s coalitions hardened Schleien’s programs became edgier, skewering Netanyahu sycophants in the Likud Party, anti-élitist demagogues, cultic settlers, and rabbinic mandarins.
    — Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of demagogues
Noun
  • Luis Suarez was one of the instigators, spit on a Sounders official, and was punished with six-game Leagues Cup suspension, which means the Uruguayan forward is banned from the entire 2026 tournament.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 6 Aug. 2026
  • It was said in jest, yet the sport’s most audacious instigators might take him up on it.
    — Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 23 July 2026
Definition of instigators

Browse Nearby Words

agitator
agitators
agleam
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Agitators.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/agitators. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All