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instigator
noun as in troublemaker
Strongest match
Strong matches
Weak matches
Example Sentences
A key instigator was a group on the Telegram messaging app, set up about six hours after the stabbings.
"After Kazan and after he shook hands with the war’s instigator and spent UN Day on the territory of the aggressor country, it would be somehow strange to host him here."
Yet the historical record shows that while Trump has become a victim of a toxic political culture, he’s also one of its primary instigators.
Tuesday's release of findings concluded it was "highly likely that she was hit indirectly and unintentionally by IDF fire which was not aimed at her, but aimed at the key instigator of the riot."
Online lies and misinformation inflamed the situation and some key instigators used social media and messaging apps to spread hatred and call for protests at fixed times and places.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is another word for instigator?
Instigator is most commonly used in a negative way to refer to a person who provokes other people or incites trouble—often by instigating arguments or encouraging dangerous actions.
Synonyms include agitator, antagonizer, provocateur, troublemaker, incendiary, and firebrand.
Some instigators make elaborate plans to stir up trouble, but others are opportunists who find any opportunity to throw a match on a powder keg.
The term agent provocateur is more specific than provocateur. An agent provocateur is a secret agent working to incite people into illegal actions so that they can be arrested.
What is the opposite (antonym) of instigator?
The opposite of instigating is trying to stop trouble, rather than starting it. In the context of an argument or conflict, such a person might be called a peacemaker or peacekeeper. The word troubleshooter can also be used in this way. Mediators try to help parties in a conflict to resolve it.
Is instigator a negative word?
Instigator is almost always used in a negative way in the context of someone starting trouble. It’s possible to be used positively in a way that’s ironic, as in instigator of peace. In neutral contexts involving things causing other things, the neutral word catalyst is a good choice.
From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
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