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
And with his large following, Posobiec is seen by many on the right as both a bellwether for what the base cares about and a way to reach that base.
—
Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 22 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
Virginia’s statewide races are also closely watched, given the state’s status as a potential bellwether for national trends.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
The first bellwether trial is scheduled to begin in Los Angeles Superior Court in late January.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bellwether
Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 22 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
Virginia’s statewide races are also closely watched, given the state’s status as a potential bellwether for national trends.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Oct. 2025
The first bellwether trial is scheduled to begin in Los Angeles Superior Court in late January.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bellwether
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellwether
Noun
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Decisions made in Gyeongju are non-binding — and leaders have faced difficulty reaching consensus in the past including on thorny issues like Russia’s war in Ukraine.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
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In Axios, Alexander Solender and Marc Caputo report on the half-dozen labor leaders who have urged Democrats to vote for government funding and end the shutdown without conditions.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The transformation reinforces our position as a pioneer in the region’s retail and leisure landscape.—
Ritu Upadhyay,
Footwear News,
28 Oct. 2025
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National Mining Hall of Fame & Museum Located downtown, the National Mining Hall of Fame & Museum dives deep into the region’s economic history, with exhibits that cover mining culture, pioneer life, Indigenous history, and period photographs from the region.—
Karthika Gupta,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Bellwether.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellwether. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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