spearhead
noun
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Definition of spearhead
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : the sharp-pointed head of a spear
2 : a leading element, force, or influence in an undertaking or development
spearhead
verbDefinition of spearhead (Entry 2 of 2)
: to serve as leader or leading element of
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Synonyms for spearhead
Synonyms: Verb
boss, captain, command, head, lead
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Examples of spearhead in a Sentence
Noun
Her book was the spearhead of the clean water movement.Verb
She spearheaded the campaign for better schools. The movement was spearheaded by the teachers' union.
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The 27-year-old was the spearhead to Leicester's title winning season in 2016, alongside England forward Jamie Vardy. — SI.com, "Man City Target Spotted in Manchester & Undergoes Medical Ahead of Big-Money Transfer," 10 July 2018 In response to the Crimea annexation, NATO created a 5,000-troop spearhead force that can deploy to trouble spots within days. — Daniel Michaels, WSJ, "NATO, Under Fire From Trump, to Trumpet Its Heightened Readiness," 6 July 2018 Pompeo, who is helping spearhead conversations ahead of a possible summit with North Korea next month, met with Kim for dinner Wednesday night. — Kathryn Watson, CBS News, "Pompeo speaks to press after meeting with North Korea official — live updates," 31 May 2018 Weapons like spearheads, swords, shield fragments, iron knives and an axe were also uncovered. — Doyle Rice, USA TODAY, "Ancient human bones are proof of 'barbarian' war rituals 2,000 years ago in Europe," 21 May 2018 So the motorcycles range out in front of the armored spearheads, in front of the airpower looking for weaknesses in the enemy lines. — Fox News, "What threats face America's electrical grid?," 23 Apr. 2018 The spearheads themselves appear to have been made both with local materials, such as flint, and resources imported from hundreds of miles away. — Aristos Georgiou, Newsweek, "Hundreds of 12,000-year-old Spearheads and Arrowheads Found in Peru by Archaeologists," 14 Mar. 2018 The ancient spearheads will now be analyzed to determine the techniques used to manufacture them before going on display at the Regional Museum of Ica. — Aristos Georgiou, Newsweek, "Hundreds of 12,000-year-old Spearheads and Arrowheads Found in Peru by Archaeologists," 14 Mar. 2018 Archaeologists have discovered more than 150 ancient spearheads in the south of Peru, dating between 9,000 and 12,000 years old. — Aristos Georgiou, Newsweek, "Hundreds of 12,000-year-old Spearheads and Arrowheads Found in Peru by Archaeologists," 14 Mar. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Emboldened by that breakthrough, a number of private investigators are spearheading a call for amateur genealogists to help solve other cold cases by contributing their own genetic information to the same public database. — Julian Hattem, BostonGlobe.com, "Investigators say DNA database can be goldmine for old cases," 16 June 2018 Emboldened by that breakthrough, a number of private investigators are spearheading a call for amateur genealogists to help solve other cold cases by contributing their own genetic information to the same public database. — Washington Post, "Investigators say DNA database can be goldmine for old cases," 16 June 2018 One of the organizers of the petition, the nonprofit group Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood, is now spearheading a similar effort against Amazon. — Nitasha Tiku, WIRED, "Congress, Privacy Groups Question Amazon's Echo Dot for Kids," 11 May 2018 Unprecedented Attack’ Dede Oetomo is an activist and founder of gay rights group Gaya Nusantara who has spearheaded Indonesia’s gay rights movement for over 30 years. — Suyin Haynes, Time, "Indonesia's Crackdown on LGBT Rights is Fueling an HIV Epidemic, Rights Group Warns," 2 July 2018 The Argentina soccer legend, who nearly single-handedly spearheaded the South American country to World Cup glory in 1986, caused concern among his legion of fans following a series of outlandish antics throughout the tournament. — Martin Rogers, USA TODAY, "Argentina legend Diego Maradona's behavior at the World Cup could be just for show," 30 June 2018 It was named after NASA's second administrator, who spearheaded the Apollo moon landings. — Marcia Dunn, OrlandoSentinel.com, "More delay, cost for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope," 28 June 2018 Royal Bank of Canada’s Greg Mills, the global equities head who spearheaded his firm’s fight against predatory high-frequency trading, is leaving RBC Capital Markets next month after two decades at the bank. — Doug Alexander, Bloomberg.com, "Man Behind RBC's Battle Against High-Frequency Trading to Leave," 18 June 2018 The Preservation Society of Newport County, who spearheaded the project, purchased the National Historic Landmark from the Vanderbilts in 1972. — Sam Dangremond, Town & Country, "The Breakers Opens Controversial Welcome Center," 16 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'spearhead.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for spearhead
spearhead
noun
English Language Learners Definition of spearhead
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a person, thing, or group that organizes or leads something (such as a movement or attack)
spearhead
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of spearhead (Entry 2 of 2)
: to be the leader of (something, such as a political movement)
See the full definition for spearhead in the English Language Learners Dictionary
spearhead
noun
\
Kids Definition of spearhead
(Entry 1 of 2)
1 : the head or point of a spear
2 : the person, thing, or group that is the leading force (as in a development or an attack)
spearhead
verbKids Definition of spearhead (Entry 2 of 2)
: to serve as leader of She spearheaded a campaign for change.
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