as in leading
to serve as leader of
unofficially at least, Martin Luther King spearheaded the civil rights movement
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Recent Examples of spearheading
This audit aims to do just that, said Jared Rodriguez, executive director of the Childcare Providers Association of Michigan, a child care industry trade group that's spearheading the audit.
—
Beki San Martin, Freep.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Cheney is tasked with leading a team of global voices, spearheading Crown & Caliber’s transformation into a lifestyle publication at the intersection of horology, luxury, culture, travel and technology.
—Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 10 Feb. 2026
Tech leaders such as Nvidia are spearheading an artificial intelligence boom that has caused market cap values to rocket higher.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
In baseball, Hill led Orange Coast to the 1980 state championship under Mayne and was drafted and signed by the A’s in 1981 after spearheading Arizona State to the NCAA national championship.
—Richard Dunn, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
D'Amaro served as president of Walt Disney World Resort before stepping in as chairman of Disney Experiences in 2020, spearheading efforts at the company's theme parks, cruises and resorts division.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Peter Long, whose great-grandparents were the first caretakers of the land, is part of the current generation spearheading this movement toward ranch sustainability and inclusion.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 3 Feb. 2026
The new Ceccarelli 40 was developed in partnership with Francesco Paszkowski Design, with Sebastian Martinez spearheading the exteriors, Names Studio executing naval architecture, and Margherita Casprini working on interiors.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 2 Feb. 2026
America250, the entity created by Congress to lead celebrations, is spearheading coordination with the NFL and other sports leagues to mark the semiquincentennial.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 30 Jan. 2026
Beki San Martin, Freep.com, 11 Feb. 2026
Cheney is tasked with leading a team of global voices, spearheading Crown & Caliber’s transformation into a lifestyle publication at the intersection of horology, luxury, culture, travel and technology.
—Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 10 Feb. 2026
Tech leaders such as Nvidia are spearheading an artificial intelligence boom that has caused market cap values to rocket higher.
—George Avalos, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
In baseball, Hill led Orange Coast to the 1980 state championship under Mayne and was drafted and signed by the A’s in 1981 after spearheading Arizona State to the NCAA national championship.
—Richard Dunn, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
D'Amaro served as president of Walt Disney World Resort before stepping in as chairman of Disney Experiences in 2020, spearheading efforts at the company's theme parks, cruises and resorts division.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Peter Long, whose great-grandparents were the first caretakers of the land, is part of the current generation spearheading this movement toward ranch sustainability and inclusion.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 3 Feb. 2026
The new Ceccarelli 40 was developed in partnership with Francesco Paszkowski Design, with Sebastian Martinez spearheading the exteriors, Names Studio executing naval architecture, and Margherita Casprini working on interiors.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 2 Feb. 2026
America250, the entity created by Congress to lead celebrations, is spearheading coordination with the NFL and other sports leagues to mark the semiquincentennial.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spearheading
Verb
-
Judges ruled Lai was the mastermind Lai was arrested in August 2020 under the security law that was used in a years-long crackdown on many of Hong Kong’s leading activists.—
Kanis Leung,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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The 15 consecutive wins are also the most under Lawson, who is in her fifth full season leading the Blue Devils (18-6, 13-0).—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Neither team shot particularly well from 3-point range but Vanderbilt (21-4, 8-4 SEC) owned a commanding advantage at the free-throw line.—
American Statesman staff,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Baseball’s contemporary problem is defending ground rather than commanding it.—
Rick Burton,
Sportico.com,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spearheading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spearheading. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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