as in founder
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 father
Aside from the Bible, English philosopher John Locke deeply influenced our founding fathers.
—
James O. Cunningham, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
There’s a full-scale Magan boat built from palm rope and goat hair, and a replica of UAE founding father Sheikh Zayed’s iconic Chrysler.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 8 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for founding father
James O. Cunningham, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
There’s a full-scale Magan boat built from palm rope and goat hair, and a replica of UAE founding father Sheikh Zayed’s iconic Chrysler.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 8 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for founding father
Recent Examples of Synonyms for founding father
Noun
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The airspace closure is expected to be extremely disruptive for El Paso, a major industrial hub, Robert Moore, the founder and CEO of news site El Paso Matters, told CNN.—
Karina Tsui,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Star Parker is founder of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The creator economy celebrates audiences as fandoms who co-create and build communities.—
Mina Haque,
Fortune,
15 Feb. 2026
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The program includes interviews from the show's creators, participants and judges, according to Netflix.—
Taylor Ardrey,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Their accounts gave me shivers of recognition—their experiences echoed my father’s stories.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
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The two become inseparable, to the dismay of Cathy’s paid companion Nelly (Vi Nguyen), and only become closer after Heathcliff takes a beating on Cathy’s behalf from her alcoholic father (Martin Clunes) for missing his birthday celebration.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Founding father.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/founding%20father. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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