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# instigator

noun (an instigator, instigators)

«instigator» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A person who starts something, especially trouble such as a fight, argument or protest. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instigator/#m1)
2. A person who causes an action or plan to begin: the instigator of the idea. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instigator/#m2)

### In the lessons

In school and stories, the instigator is the one who started the trouble — «who was the instigator of the food fight?» In history lessons, instigators started revolts or protests. Phrases: the instigator of, chief instigator.

### Examples

- The teacher wanted to know who was the instigator of the snowball fight. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instigator/#x1)
- He was the instigator of the plan to build a treehouse. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instigator/#x2)
- The instigators of the riot were arrested. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instigator/#x3)
- She was the instigator of our class charity sale. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instigator/#x4)
- Don't be the instigator of unkind games. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instigator/#x5)
- In the story, the fox was the instigator of every trick in the farmyard. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instigator/#x6)
- Unprepared for this sudden attack he admitted his guilt, but pointed to the wife of Xuthus as the instigator of the crime. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instigator/#x7)

### Note

Verb «instigate» (to start something); noun «instigation». Usually about starting trouble, but can be neutral.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «instigator» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/I/instigator/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«instigator» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/instigator.html) on Mova free.