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
This was a bellwether case and there have been similar verdicts in other states.
—
Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
And, experts say, the poll results in this county — largely seen as a bellwether in recent years — might not bode well for Republicans who are already facing an uphill battle heading into the November midterms where voters, in general, tend to favor the party that’s not in power.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
And if The Devil Wears Prada 2 is any kind of morale bellwether for big media, even the ten people with job security are feeling grim about the mouth.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
Our hypothetical ambitious fifteen-year-old is exceptional, of course, and certainly not the bellwether for today’s disaffection about higher education.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 5 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bellwether
Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, Mercury News, 8 May 2026
And, experts say, the poll results in this county — largely seen as a bellwether in recent years — might not bode well for Republicans who are already facing an uphill battle heading into the November midterms where voters, in general, tend to favor the party that’s not in power.
—Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2026
And if The Devil Wears Prada 2 is any kind of morale bellwether for big media, even the ten people with job security are feeling grim about the mouth.
—Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
Our hypothetical ambitious fifteen-year-old is exceptional, of course, and certainly not the bellwether for today’s disaffection about higher education.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 5 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for bellwether
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellwether
Noun
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Conrad Weiser was a Pennsylvania German who had roamed the frontier for decades, learning the Indian languages and befriending Indian leaders, including some who encountered Washington in Ohio.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
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Alexey Maishev | Afp | Getty Images As Russian President Vladimir Putin travels to China, Moscow's leader will be keen not only to bolster ties with Beijing but also to extract key wins in areas of trade and energy.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
19 May 2026
Noun
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Across the cage stood MMA pioneer Gina Carano, the original mainstream face of women’s MMA and the opponent fans spent years fantasy-booking against Rousey during the peak of both careers.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 May 2026
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Ben Johnson’s Bears are pioneers in the field of loopy comebacks.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bellwether.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellwether. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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