as in founders
a person who establishes a whole new field of endeavor
Theodor Herzl is often credited as the founding father of modern Zionism
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Recent Examples of founding fathers
Biery compared the administration's actions to those of King George III cited by the founding fathers in the Declaration of Independence.
—
Christopher Cann, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
Atop Connecticut’s state Capitol building, Captain John Mason, depicted in his 1637 attack on the Pequots in Mystic, is enshrined among the state’s founding fathers.
—Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
And our founding fathers discussed this extensively in the Constitutional Convention and in the Federalist Papers, from Hamilton to Jefferson, the whole spectrum.
—NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
Aside from the Bible, English philosopher John Locke deeply influenced our founding fathers.
—James O. Cunningham, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
Hindi cinema once reflected secular, democratic values championed by India’s founding fathers.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 7 Dec. 2025
Many of the nation's founding fathers were Protestant and held Judeo-Christian beliefs and values.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 12 Nov. 2025
For starters, the Giants and Steelers are close NFL cousins with founding fathers who were among the league’s first guardians.
—Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
No, January 6 was a day our founding fathers would have been standing shoulder to shoulder with us.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Christopher Cann, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
Atop Connecticut’s state Capitol building, Captain John Mason, depicted in his 1637 attack on the Pequots in Mystic, is enshrined among the state’s founding fathers.
—Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
And our founding fathers discussed this extensively in the Constitutional Convention and in the Federalist Papers, from Hamilton to Jefferson, the whole spectrum.
—NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
Aside from the Bible, English philosopher John Locke deeply influenced our founding fathers.
—James O. Cunningham, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
Hindi cinema once reflected secular, democratic values championed by India’s founding fathers.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 7 Dec. 2025
Many of the nation's founding fathers were Protestant and held Judeo-Christian beliefs and values.
—Kayla Dwyer, IndyStar, 12 Nov. 2025
For starters, the Giants and Steelers are close NFL cousins with founding fathers who were among the league’s first guardians.
—Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
No, January 6 was a day our founding fathers would have been standing shoulder to shoulder with us.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for founding fathers
Noun
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Tim and Marie Kuck, founders of the Orlando nonprofit Nathaniel’s Hope, which offers respite care to families with disabled children, hope to offer him a solution.—
Michael Cuglietta,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Feb. 2026
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Montana also learned to see parallels between great founders and elite athletes.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The fallout from the files has consumed much of the news media in recent weeks, dominating headlines and coverage at major news institutions as journalists and independent creators dig through the files for embarrassing nuggets of association about high-profile individuals.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
9 Feb. 2026
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Teams are organized around fandoms, creators, and cultural moments rather than rigid functional structures or media channels.—
Christopher Vollmer,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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And again the morgues and graveyards of Iran received fathers and sons, mothers and daughters.—
Azar Nafisi,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
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Tisch and John Mara have functioned as the Giants franchise’s controlling owners for their respective families since the passing of their fathers, Bob Tisch and Wellington Mara, in 2005.—
Pat Leonard,
New York Daily News,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The authors speculated that the changes, which lasted for another four weeks after the individuals stopped playing, were partly due to the three-dimensional environment of Super Mario.—
Amanda Gardner,
Martha Stewart,
8 Feb. 2026
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The law’s authors pointed to research showing that the teenage brain is vastly different from an adult’s.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Founding fathers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/founding%20fathers. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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