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
Thanks to the brilliance of our founding fathers, there are some areas where governments are strictly limited in their ability to consider trade-offs.
—
Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
Our founding fathers experienced the heavy hand of a tyrannical government.
—Arkansas Online, 10 Mar. 2026
Legendary Chicago Bears owner George Halas was one of the founding fathers of the NFL.
—Ryan Baker, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
This is not the America our founding fathers envisioned — not one where journalists face arrest for covering protests and holding power accountable.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2026
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
Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
Our founding fathers experienced the heavy hand of a tyrannical government.
—Arkansas Online, 10 Mar. 2026
Legendary Chicago Bears owner George Halas was one of the founding fathers of the NFL.
—Ryan Baker, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
This is not the America our founding fathers envisioned — not one where journalists face arrest for covering protests and holding power accountable.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for founding fathers
Noun
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Within days, China’s surprise intervention in the deal quickly shattered that hope, as Beijing stepped up efforts to discourage Chinese AI founders from moving their businesses offshore.—
Dylan Butts,
CNBC,
30 Mar. 2026
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Tony-award-winning actor John Kani said he was stunned when the theatre's founders Barney Simon and Mannie Manim first told him their vision.—
Kate Bartlett,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Substack has created its own version of X in a bid to keep users on the platform and introduce Substack journalists and creators to new audiences.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
30 Mar. 2026
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The main career opportunities for students graduating from this course are fashion photographers, fashion filmmakers, cinematographers, digital image specialists, video editors, production managers and digital content creators.—
Andrea Onate,
Footwear News,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Our Revolutionary fathers were influenced by the Bible, particularly as Scripture was interpreted through British common law.—
James O. Cunningham,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
-
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,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This gap has real consequences, the authors argue.—
Kelly Davis,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
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Now, agents field interest from sometimes dozens of potential buyers, and authors can pick the deal most appealing to them.—
Leah Asmelash,
CNN Money,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Founding fathers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/founding%20fathers. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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