as in settler
a person who settles in a new region
the hardships that the pioneers endured while taming the wilderness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in first
coming before all others in time or order
the nation's pioneer institution for the education of African-Americans
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to establish
to be responsible for the creation and early operation or use of
he single-handedly pioneered the university's institute for medical research
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pioneer
Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 July 2025
William Arruda is a keynote speaker, author, and personal branding pioneer.
—William Arruda, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2024
Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 24 July 2025
When the federal government switched the Grand Calumet’s flow from west to east in the 1870s, the Hammond Packing Company, which pioneered refrigeration, and myriad other heavy industries rapidly set down roots after that, Aguilar said.
—Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pioneer
Noun
Dallas chef Stephan Pyles, a pioneer of Southwestern cuisine, opened The Seeker in Stephenville.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 July 2025
William Arruda is a keynote speaker, author, and personal branding pioneer.
—William Arruda, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025
Adjective
In tandem with the modernist movement of the 20th century was the Danish concept of functionalism; a design philosophy of form follows function, which was introduced by pioneer Danish architects like Poul Henningsen and Vilhelm Lauritzen.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
In the case of Mumbai, the turn of the century saw the birth of new architecture firms like Master, Sathe & Bhuta, which were led by young new graduates from India’s pioneering architecture and art institutions like the Sir JJ School of Art.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 24 July 2025
When the federal government switched the Grand Calumet’s flow from west to east in the 1870s, the Hammond Packing Company, which pioneered refrigeration, and myriad other heavy industries rapidly set down roots after that, Aguilar said.
—Michelle L. Quinn, Chicago Tribune, 22 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for pioneer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pioneer
Noun
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John Nielsen-Gammon, the state’s climatologist and a Texas A&M University atmospheric science professor, said early settlers also made the area more prone to wildfires through widespread clearing and logging in the late 1800s.—
Bianca Moreno-Paz,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
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Israeli soldiers and settlers have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since the start of the war between Israel and Gaza in October 2023.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
29 July 2025
Adjective
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With the first two episodes already having so much drama, the rest of the summer is sure to be eventful.—
Dina Kaur,
AZCentral.com,
24 July 2025
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The project is the first to enlist youth to do this monitoring.—
Madeline Heim,
jsonline.com,
24 July 2025
Verb
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The plan is the department's effort to establish a clear vision while seeking community input to create a roadmap for the department over the next five years.—
Jade Jackson,
IndyStar,
24 July 2025
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On the first day of his presidency, Trump revoked Joe Biden’s 2023 executive order that established guidelines for generative AI.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
23 July 2025
Noun
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In 1595, English colonist and captain Sir Walter Raleigh landed in Trinidad.—
Ian Rose,
JSTOR Daily,
23 July 2025
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That year, British colonists were stunned to learn that their own army—British regulars—had fired on British subjects at Lexington and Concord, killing their own people.—
Peter Suciu,
Forbes.com,
4 July 2025
Adjective
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The statement walks back from the initial 50-day deadline Trump gave Putin on July 14, which would have expired in early September.—
Solcyré Burga,
Time,
28 July 2025
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During these conversations, my students expressed views that reaffirmed their initial survey choices, finding that AI wasn’t great for first drafts, but potentially useful in the pre- or post-writing stages of brainstorming and editing.—
Piers Gelly
July 28,
Literary Hub,
28 July 2025
Verb
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The company was founded by Paola Peraza Calderon, Ry Walker, Greg Neiheisel, Viraj Parekh, and Pete DeJoy.—
Sandy Carter,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
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While the group calls itself Hong Kong Parliament, its electoral organizing committee was founded in Canada and its influence is limited.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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Just as Russia has declined in its military might since the break-up of the Soviet Union a generation ago, Grossfeld says, its status as one of the globe’s foremost space powers has likewise slipped away.—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes.com,
23 July 2025
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But all that nuttiness took place a long time ago, under the influence, and, according to the world’s foremost Ozzy authority, such is not really the case.—
Erik Hedegaard,
Rolling Stone,
22 July 2025
Verb
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But such laws are only effective if the individual demonstrated warning signs so that others can alert law enforcement and initiate the process of revoking the person’s firearm, Chittum said.—
Josh Campbell,
CNN Money,
2 Aug. 2025
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In the winter of 1967, Senator Clinton P. Anderson and his space committee initiated an inquiry into the disastrous Apollo 1 fire that killed three American astronauts.—
Matthew Beddingfield,
Scientific American,
2 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pioneer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pioneer. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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