provocateur

[ pruh-vok-uh-tur, -toor; French praw-vaw-ka-tœr ]

/ prəˌvɒk əˈtɜr, -ˈtʊər; French prɔ vɔ kaˈtœr /

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See synonyms for provocateur on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural pro·vo·ca·teurs

[pruh-vok-uh-turz, -toorz; French praw-vaw-ka-tœr]. /prəˌvɒk əˈtɜrz, -ˈtʊərz; French prɔ vɔ kaˈtœr/.

a person who provokes trouble, causes dissension, or the like; agitator.

(italics)French. agent provocateur.

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Origin of provocateur

1915–20; <French <Latin prōvocātor challenger, appellant, equivalent to provocā(re) to provoke + -tor-tor

Words nearby provocateur

proviso, provisory, provitamin, provitamin A, provo, provocateur, provocation, provocative, provoke, provoked, provoking

How to use provocateur in a sentence

This is a newsletter about the things I can’t stop thinking about, and this week it’s the brilliant Craig Jenkins column in Vulture that debates Chappelle’s role as a cultural provocateur—especially in context of this new special.
Dave Chappelle’s Pointless Transphobia and Homophobia|Kevin Fallon|October 8, 2021|The Daily Beast
It’s a clear distinction between Substack, which is often associated with bomb-throwers like Glenn Greenwald, and Facebook itself, where conservative provocateurs like Ben Shapiro, Dan Bongino, and Sean Hannity thrive.
Why you can’t write for Bulletin, Facebook’s new Substack clone|Peter Kafka|June 4, 2021|Vox
Before she was in Congress, Greene was an online conservative provocateur and shared or liked posts that included threats of violence against Democratic politicians.
Greene’s ‘verbal assault’ on Ocasio-Cortez underscores growing tensions over safety and security on Capitol Hill|Marianna Sotomayor, Colby Itkowitz, Jacqueline Alemany|May 13, 2021|Washington Post
Rush Limbaugh, conservative radio provocateur and cultural phenomenon, dies at 70Limbaugh’s tenure would last less than a month.
Nearly 20 years ago, Rush Limbaugh lost his ESPN job because he wouldn’t stick to sports|Matt Bonesteel|February 18, 2021|Washington Post

Conservative provocateurs have mastered the art of getting attention and amplifying opinions on the very social networks they so roundly criticize.
Conservatives grumbling about censorship say they’re flocking to Parler. They told us so on Twitter.|Drew Harwell, Rachel Lerman|November 23, 2020|Washington Post
Nonetheless, the pop provocateur that soap fans know by the mononym “Franco” has decided to unpack it.
James Franco and Scott Haze on 'The Sound and the Fury' and Gawker 'Outing' Them As A 'Couple'|Marlow Stern|September 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Lars von Trier, the terribly talented Danish provocateur, is quite a character.
Lars von Trier Breaks His Vow of Silence to Discuss ‘Nymphomaniac’ in Venice|Marlow Stern|September 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
These are the works of Ralph Steadman, legendary artist and provocateur.
The Gonzo Artist: Behind Ralph Steadman’s Most Famous Work|Alex Suskind|April 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
DONETSK, Ukraine—He reaches into his pocket to pull out a Ukrainian passport and opens it to prove he is no Russian provocateur.
Soccer Hooligans Prep Ukraine for Putin|Jamie Dettmer|March 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A harder-than-hard-core conservative and professional provocateur, Peterson is an equal-opportunity offender.
The Shady Group Behind the African-American Anti-Immigration Rally|Michelle Cottle|July 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The Whites put up a provocateur as before a pogrom in Russia.
The Soul of John Brown|Stephen Graham
I was looking about to find the German agent provocateur, but I failed to find him.
Spies of the Kaiser|William Le Queux
That is why one was never sure that the stranger who denounced Rasputin and his friends was not an agent-provocateur.
The Minister of Evil|William Le Queux
More than once the charge of being a provocateur was leveled at Lenine and at Trotzky, but without justification, apparently.
Bolshevism|John Spargo
My answer was that a study of many labor cases had taught me the methods of the agent provocateur.
The Profits of Religion, Fifth Edition|Upton Sinclair

British Dictionary definitions for provocateur

provocateur

/ (prəˌvɒkəˈtɜː) /

noun

a person who deliberately behaves controversially in order to provoke argument or other strong reactions

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

provocateur

Origin of provocateur

Words nearby provocateur

Words related to provocateur

How to use provocateur in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for provocateur