DEMAGOGUES Synonyms: 46 Similar and Opposite Words

demagogues

noun

variants also demagogs

plural of demagogue

as in agitators

a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent that politician is just a demagogue who preys upon people's fears and prejudices

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 demagogues Does the rise of right-wing demagogues offer chilling parallels to the Pinochet era? — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 22 Apr. 2026 Leftist demagogues specialize in lose-lose-lose policies. — Editorial, Boston Herald, 6 Apr. 2026 Certainly Arendt, who lived through arguably darker times, did not see them as merely a product of the era’s monstrous demagogues. — Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026 But demeaning our brand through association with vulgar demagogues is a losing strategy. — Alma Hernandez, New York Daily News, 1 May 2026 In the long term, this failure to address deep social problems contributes to the erosion of people’s trust in governments and institutions, breeding nihilism and an attraction to demagogues who claim to have easy answers. — Rob Wolfe, The Atlantic, 19 Feb. 2026 But those standards can be easily stretched by demagogues, and a simple majority on the committee is enough to ban a party, though a panel of nine Supreme Court justices can overturn the decision on appeal. — Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 18 May 2026 Without a robust legitimacy narrative, demagogues fill the vacuum. — Annelise Riles, Chicago Tribune, 4 Feb. 2026 Following the outbreak of COVID-19, bias incidents and assaults against Asian Americans soared to alarming heights as demagogues on the streets and in high office inflamed xenophobic fear and animosity. — Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for demagogues

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.

— Robert McGreevy, FOXNews.com, 4 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

Definition of agitators

Noun

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.

— Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 1 July 2026
Many proponents believe that access to affordable models will act as a leveler, allowing smaller enterprises to innovate, test, and gain insights in ways previously that were previously much more challenging.

— Francesca Cassidy, Fortune, 22 June 2026

Definition of proponents

Noun

The establishment’s theory of the case has always been that popular insurgents are too risky, too unpolished, too outside the lane.

— Tad Devine, Fortune, 7 July 2026
Fujimori, 51, is the daughter of late President Alberto Fujimori, who governed the country with an iron fist from 1990 to 2000 and was credited with defeating Maoist insurgents and taming runaway hyperinflation.

— Reuters, NBC news, 4 July 2026

Definition of insurgents

Noun

Veteran rave promoters envision Origin as a 1,000-capacity, Blade Runner–style warehouse with modular patio stages, offering daytime community events that transition into intimate Afro-house and hard-rave nights.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Gálvez promoters also want all Americans to see his army as a symbol of the promise of our multiracial democracy.

— Geraldo L. Cadava, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026

Definition of promoters

Noun

The 2026 midterms are already being shaken up by populist firebrands and antiestablishment outsiders.

— James Desio, Washington Post, 15 May 2026
Since arriving on the scene almost a decade ago, the trio have presented themselves as firebrands, ready to stick it to an establishment seeking to strangle the last remnants of 20th century Irish republicanism.

— Dean Van Nguyen, Pitchfork, 30 Apr. 2026

Definition of firebrands

Noun

Global organizations navigate a complex landscape, prompting boards to evolve beyond traditional oversight into strategic provocateurs.

— Anna Marks, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Just a funny parasocial back-and-forth between some of the most passionate fans in sports and one of the best provocateurs the SEC has seen since Steve Spurrier.

— Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026

Definition of provocateurs

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“Demagogues.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/demagogues. Accessed 9 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of demagogues

noun

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