instigator
noun
a person or thing that provokes or incites an action or course: Plays to be performed at the festival focus on a theme of how youth can be the instigators of positive change.
instigators
-
pluralof instigator.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
Loyalist commanders estimate there were half-a-dozen coup instigators and perhaps 40 eager co-conspirators.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 12, 2026
Intervention by the governor and community mediation efforts restored a fragile peace to the area, but the instigators of the violence remain at large.
From Barron's ● Feb. 26, 2026
But LeBron James, one of the instigators during that stretch, missed three point-blank looks at the basket with the Lakers needing to be perfect to have a real chance at a comeback.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 2025
Because the companies are folding to these baseless accusations, the instigators of these hunts have become emboldened, he said.
From BBC ● Jan. 11, 2025
In 2012, several further studies corroborated these initial findings, strengthening the links between these variants of mental illness and family histories and deepening questions about their etiology, epidemiology, triggers, and instigators.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
