as in proponents
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
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Recent Examples of instigators
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
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
There are leaders, lurkers, peacekeepers, instigators, and the person who only surfaces to drop an occasional thumbs-up.
—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
18 May 2026
All of that would be intriguing even if the founders of Deep Voodoo weren’t South Park instigators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Mar. 2026
In 2001, the United States and its allies stormed into Afghanistan, aiming to destroy the Taliban and round up the instigators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
—
Nolan Finley,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
The instigators were allowed to go beyond peaceful protests to hindering law enforcement from doing their job which escalated with the result of two people tragically losing their lives.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
1 Feb. 2026
Federal officials and the president himself were swift to label those killed as instigators.
—
Dominik Dausch,
Sioux Falls Argus Leader,
28 Jan. 2026
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
28 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
There are leaders, lurkers, peacekeepers, instigators, and the person who only surfaces to drop an occasional thumbs-up.
—
Sam Reed,
Glamour,
18 May 2026
All of that would be intriguing even if the founders of Deep Voodoo weren’t South Park instigators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
31 Mar. 2026
In 2001, the United States and its allies stormed into Afghanistan, aiming to destroy the Taliban and round up the instigators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
—
Nolan Finley,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2026
The instigators were allowed to go beyond peaceful protests to hindering law enforcement from doing their job which escalated with the result of two people tragically losing their lives.
—
Voice Of The People,
New York Daily News,
1 Feb. 2026
Federal officials and the president himself were swift to label those killed as instigators.
—
Dominik Dausch,
Sioux Falls Argus Leader,
28 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for instigators
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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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.
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.
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The biggest issue is the promoters that, for lack of a better word, don’t really understand what their job is, who are perpetuating the issue by rewarding the young men and women that are going out of their way to do these crazy things – jumping off of balconies, crazy moves every match.
Noun
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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.
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White attributed most of the hateful comments to online agitators rather than true WNBA or Indiana Fever fans.
Noun
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The event is open to #LatinaGeeks members, allies and supporters.
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Duplass Brothers Productions is one of the original supporters of the fund, which was created to support micro-budget feature filmmaking by transgender creators.
Noun
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And the old person who rebels is ridiculous.
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There was relative peace for 11 years, until a second civil war erupted in 1983, when leaders in Khartoum imposed sharia (Islamic) law and accelerated repression of the southern Christian rebels, which ultimately allowed a ruthless military officer, Omar al-Bashir, to come to power in 1989.
Noun
-
Global organizations navigate a complex landscape, prompting boards to evolve beyond traditional oversight into strategic provocateurs.
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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.
Noun
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For some longtime advocates, the fear is more than just existential.
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The ruling was a setback for gun control advocates that had argued the measures were necessary for public safety in places like shopping malls, bars, restaurants, theaters, farms, arenas and private beaches.
Noun
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Sistan-Baluchistan, which borders Pakistan and Afghanistan, has long seen clashes between security forces, insurgents and drug smugglers.
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Nine American soldiers died and 27 others were injured while fighting a battle against 200 Taliban insurgents in the village of Wanat in Afghanistan’s Waygal Valley.
Cite this Entry
“Instigators.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/instigators. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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