instigator

noun

Definition of instigatornext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 instigator 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 Greek director-screenwriter-producer Tsangari is considered a principal instigator of the Greek New Wave. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigator
  1. proponent
  2. supporter
  3. promoter
  4. rebel
  5. advocate
  6. agitator
  7. demonstrator
  8. provocateur
Noun
  • On Monday, the act gained its highest-profile proponent yet when New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani announced his support for the legislation.
    — Glenn Taylor, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Andrew Sweetman, the Scottish marine biogeochemist who led the work, hadn’t made such claims, but he was still pilloried by fellow-scientists, and proponents of mining accused him of being an anti-mining crusader.
    — James Dinneen, New Yorker, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of proponent
Noun
  • Even her supporters glance askance at one another during her rambling entreaties.
    — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Cliven Bundy, the family patriarch, rallied hundreds of supporters to block the roundup of his cattle, sparking a days long armed standoff between law enforcement and the Bundy group near the town of Bunkerville, outside of Las Vegas.
    — Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of supporter
Noun
  • The idea sometimes asserted by promoters that asset protection planning can allow a person to decrease their insurance coverage is false.
    — Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Those recommendations can expose investors to steep losses, particularly when promoters use their audiences to inflate a token's price before selling their own holdings, a practice commonly known as a pump-and-dump scheme.
    — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of promoter
Noun
  • Ahmed al-Sharaa, the former rebel commander who has served as Syria’s President since 2025, has been outward looking since taking power.
    — Paula Hancocks, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Dozens of rebel and militia groups operate across eastern Congo.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of rebel
Noun
  • When the lottery was proposed, advocates promised profits would go to aid education.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 9 Aug. 2026
  • Senate Republicans have expressed wariness in recent days about the prospect of slashing those standards, which advocates say help keep kids safe and healthy.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of advocate
Noun
  • Compared to front load washers, top load washers have what’s called an agitator in the center of the vertical drum that’s used to create friction amongst the clothes when washing.
    — Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Naturally, Cornyn’s increasing role as a White House agitator and swing vote hasn’t gone over well with the MAGA base.
    — Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 25 July 2026
Definition of agitator
Noun
  • The company plans to use the new capital to expand manufacturing, support its go-to-market efforts, build a large-scale demonstrator and advance research and development.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • That aircraft primarily served as a technology demonstrator, allowing engineers to verify flight controls, aerodynamic performance and core aircraft systems before introducing more advanced prototypes.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 31 July 2026
Definition of demonstrator
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
  • In the movie, out July 31, Hoffman plays fresh college grad Elliot, who lands an exciting job for renowned artist and provocateur Erika Tracy (Wilde).
    — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 30 July 2026
Definition of provocateur

Browse Nearby Words

instigative
instigator
instigators
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Cite this Entry

“Instigator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigator. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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