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.

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

"The big unanswered question now is which strains are the healers, and which are the troublemakers."

From Science Daily • Nov. 12, 2025

And Arm understood that when you had ten million people jammed together in a city, you always had a few troublemakers.

From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer