as in leader
one that takes the lead or sets an example
the state has a long history of being an early and reliable bellwether in presidential elections
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Recent Examples of bellwether
The trend of Dominguez's shooting being a bellwether for the team continued in the postseason.
—
Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 30 Mar. 2026
The release capped a bellwether year for Weathers.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2026
The first bellwether there is set to begin in Oakland this summer.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
More importantly, the bellwether verdict signals to every other plaintiff, attorney and state attorney general that this legal pathway is viable, and to every platform that the courtroom is no longer a safe harbor.
—Carolina Rossini, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bellwether
Tony Catalina, Austin American Statesman, 30 Mar. 2026
The release capped a bellwether year for Weathers.
—Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 29 Mar. 2026
The first bellwether there is set to begin in Oakland this summer.
—Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026
More importantly, the bellwether verdict signals to every other plaintiff, attorney and state attorney general that this legal pathway is viable, and to every platform that the courtroom is no longer a safe harbor.
—Carolina Rossini, The Conversation, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bellwether
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellwether
Noun
-
The protest, organized by national anti-death penalty organizations Death Penalty Action and Worth Rise, was attended mostly by local faith leaders and members.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Thousands of people are calling on Charlotte leaders to stop a data center from setting up shop southeast of Reedy Creek Nature Preserve.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Long before federal regulations existed, the couple hosted the very first meeting to form the National Organic Standards Board right there at their ranch, gathering with other pioneers like the Lundberg family to create a unified standard.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
29 Mar. 2026
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Apollo's acquisition came after Verizon Communications bought Yahoo's online operations in 2017 and then bungled an attempt to blend those services into AOL, another internet pioneer.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bellwether.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellwether. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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