spearhead

1 of 2

noun

spear·​head ˈspir-ˌhed How to pronounce spearhead (audio)
Synonyms of spearhead
1
: the sharp-pointed head of a spear
2
: a leading element, force, or influence in an undertaking or development

spearhead

2 of 2

verb

spearheaded; spearheading; spearheads

transitive verb

: to serve as leader or leading element of

Synonyms of spearhead

Examples of spearhead in a Sentence

Noun Her book was the spearhead of the clean water movement. Verb She spearheaded the campaign for better schools. The movement was spearheaded by the teachers' union.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Usually the spearhead of Jordan’s attack, Al-Naimat suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in December which ruled him out of this tournament. Charlotte Harpur, New York Times, 17 June 2026 The Republicans vowed to continue making Texas a legal spearhead for red-state resistance to Democratic policies. Philip Jankowski austin Bureau, Dallas Morning News, 3 Mar. 2026
Verb
In 2016, Congress appointed the America250 organization (officially known as the United States Semiquincentennial Commission) to spearhead the planning and celebration of America's 250th birthday. Peter Charalambous, ABC News, 3 July 2026 The plan is for Indiana’s comedy creative hub to generate at least three feature films per year, Indiana’s Marco Cohen — who has been spearheading the operation — told Variety. Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for spearhead

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1937, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of spearhead was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spearhead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spearhead. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

Kids Definition

spearhead

1 of 2 noun
spear·​head -ˌhed How to pronounce spearhead (audio)
1
: the head or point of a spear
2
: a person, thing, or group that is the leading force (as in a development or attack)

spearhead

2 of 2 verb
: to serve as leader of
spearhead a campaign for better schools

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