as in leader
one that takes the lead or sets an example
the state has a long history of being an early and reliable bellwether in presidential elections
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Recent Examples of bellwether
Retail analysts look to Black Friday as one bellwether for the holiday shopping season and the overall vitality of the consumer economy.
—
Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Oct. 2025
As the documentary continues to screen at various award-bellwether film festivals this fall, the SVU actress, 61, is reflecting on what went into making the documentary.
—Abby Stern, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Both Californians and residents of New York City will cast their ballots in what could be important bellwethers for where we are headed.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 23 Oct. 2025
The opening sequence — involving a scared little boy whose fear only accelerates during a nightmarish car ride — is a decent bellwether for the first five episodes (which is all that were screened for critics, of the eight total).
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bellwether
Roxana Popescu, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Oct. 2025
As the documentary continues to screen at various award-bellwether film festivals this fall, the SVU actress, 61, is reflecting on what went into making the documentary.
—Abby Stern, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Both Californians and residents of New York City will cast their ballots in what could be important bellwethers for where we are headed.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 23 Oct. 2025
The opening sequence — involving a scared little boy whose fear only accelerates during a nightmarish car ride — is a decent bellwether for the first five episodes (which is all that were screened for critics, of the eight total).
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bellwether
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellwether
Noun
-
The president worked with Gifford Pinchot—the US Forest Service’s first leader—on a publicity campaign in this realm, and came to appoint a commission in 1903 that held public hearings and investigations the president knew would grab headlines.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
7 Nov. 2025
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Sustainable transformation isn’t achieved by a mandate; instead, it’s driven by leaders who focus on people first.—
Feon Ang,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Family and love of God, integrity, grit, pioneer grit.—
Justin Ravitz,
USA Today,
11 Nov. 2025
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The resale pioneer’s third-quarter revenues increased 17 percent to $174 million, producing a gross merchandise volume of $520 million.—
Evan Clark,
Footwear News,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bellwether.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellwether. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.
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