troublemakers

NOUN

person who causes a problem

Synonyms

STRONGEST

agitator

STRONG

firebrand gremlin heel hellion incendiary inciter instigator meddler mischief-maker nuisance phony punk rabble-rouser rascal recreant snake weasel

WEAK

agent provocateur bad actor inflamer loose cannon smart aleck stormy petrel

Antonyms

WEAK

peacemaker

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

troublemakers

"We found that tubulin can drive Tau and alpha synuclein troublemakers down a healthy path."

From Science Daily ● Jun. 21, 2026

The latter is sung by “SNL” alum Ana Gasteyer, a standout as the unofficial moral enforcer of the town, who sees the strange interlopers as, well, troublemakers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026

Local media coverage of the demonstrations has varied, with some outlets focusing on economic difficulties, and others on incidents caused by "troublemakers".

From Barron's ● Jan. 1, 2026

Araceli’s mother said that workers are afraid to complain about heat or other working conditions because they don’t want to be singled out as troublemakers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 20, 2025

This was a big mistake—probably the very response that Ferdinand had been trying to provoke, so that he could represent the Protestants as unruly troublemakers.

From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin