1
as in source
a point or place at which something is invented or provided
historically, California has served as the fountainhead of that eclectic group of self-actualization movements known as the New Age
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2
as in origin
the source from which something grows or develops
a collection of lyrical ballads that became the fountainhead of a literary revolution
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Recent Examples of fountainhead
But what if, rather than a trickle of tech, the fountainhead itself comprised the car—a street-legal, limited-production Formula 1 model?
—
Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2025
Trump’s aggressive acts were red meat for those who view California as the fountainhead of permissive behavior.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 11 June 2025
On the day of the Belvedere's dedication, hundreds of students from Louisville schools released balloons into the sky and watched as fountainheads sprayed water in a dazzling display.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Mar. 2025
In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research.
—Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
This suggests that Americans will witness more than Band-Aid fixes, that with his election mandate and a Republican majority in Congress, Trump will overhaul the education system into a fountainhead of moral and academic excellence.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 13 Nov. 2024
Boards rarely know how the company actually works: The CEO is usually the fountainhead of all information to the board.
—Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
From tea drinking to persimmon cultivation, the city became a fountainhead of Japanese food culture.
—Megan Zhang, Saveur, 9 May 2024
The patriarch, the fountainhead, is Eli McCullough, born the same day that Texas became a state, a hard man forged through fire.
—Chris Vognar, Chron, 28 May 2023
Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 13 Oct. 2025
Trump’s aggressive acts were red meat for those who view California as the fountainhead of permissive behavior.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 11 June 2025
On the day of the Belvedere's dedication, hundreds of students from Louisville schools released balloons into the sky and watched as fountainheads sprayed water in a dazzling display.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Mar. 2025
In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research.
—Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
This suggests that Americans will witness more than Band-Aid fixes, that with his election mandate and a Republican majority in Congress, Trump will overhaul the education system into a fountainhead of moral and academic excellence.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 13 Nov. 2024
Boards rarely know how the company actually works: The CEO is usually the fountainhead of all information to the board.
—Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
From tea drinking to persimmon cultivation, the city became a fountainhead of Japanese food culture.
—Megan Zhang, Saveur, 9 May 2024
The patriarch, the fountainhead, is Eli McCullough, born the same day that Texas became a state, a hard man forged through fire.
—Chris Vognar, Chron, 28 May 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fountainhead
Noun
-
Academically, no; the call for honest and accurate citation of one’s sources will, and must, ring out as forcefully as ever.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
22 Mar. 2026
-
The Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center says the animals have played an integral role in the state's history and ecology and served as a staple food source for people living in the region as far back as the Paleo-Indian period.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Her book also sheds new light on the origins of Steinem’s most passionate beliefs—from a childhood rat bite that opened her eyes to the dangers of poverty to her attendance at the 1970 Women’s Strike for Equality that honored the right to vote.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Leadership teams and emerging executives should understand the origins of their industry.—
Sudhir Gupta,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Cellphone mounts or cradles allow people to access their mobile devices at all times.—
Rachel Swan,
San Francisco Chronicle,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Gender, above all, determines how life is supposed to proceed, from cradle to grave; one of her longest digressions is an overview of the different ways that, to her mind, men and women are supposed to die.—
Isle McElroy,
The Atlantic,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But the film also sees the roots of toxic nativism elsewhere, especially in the wars being waged in Ukraine and Gaza, both of which become passing points of conversation.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Gatewood had been tasked with overseeing the Johnson administration's efforts to address the root causes of crime and violence in Chicago and coming up with a plan for public safety.—
Lauren Victory,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Included are a 24-hour concierge and valet, a restaurant, and a 75-foot lap pool with cabanas, along with four acres of landscaped gardens hosting alfresco dining areas, fountains, and botanical walking paths.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The Van Ackers delivered photos of the spouting fountain, which had ceased operating in 2012, to every member of the California Legislature.—
Graham Womack,
Sacbee.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The changes will take effect April 3, marking the beginning of Teel’s third stint as CEO of Raley’s.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2026
-
At the beginning of their time on the stand at the trial in which Evans pleaded guilty to intoxication manslaughter of a peace officer and elected to have a jury assess her punishment, the witnesses answered prosecutors’ introductory questions with flat speech.—
Emerson Clarridge
Updated March 27,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fountainhead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fountainhead. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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