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
Potential bellwether Legal experts have said the trial could be a bellwether for more than a thousand similar cases brought against social media players in recent years.
—
CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Jury selection in the first bellwether case starts Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
—Shannon Bond, NPR, 27 Jan. 2026
Her lawsuit will act as a bellwether case.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 27 Jan. 2026
The initial bellwether trial is set for October.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bellwether
CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026
Jury selection in the first bellwether case starts Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
—Shannon Bond, NPR, 27 Jan. 2026
Her lawsuit will act as a bellwether case.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 27 Jan. 2026
The initial bellwether trial is set for October.
—Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bellwether
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bellwether
Noun
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More than 8,000 volunteers are with the program so far, but leaders have a goal of growing Phambassadors to at least 10,000 people before the year's biggest events.—
Nikki DeMentri,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
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The leader of the Unification Church, also known as the Moonies, which began in South Korea and has spread worldwide, is also on trial over the bribes.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Representing hip-hop, Clipse and Pharrell Williams, and Tyler, The Creator will perform, while Doechii, Q-Tip and female rap pioneer (and 2005 Grammy host) Queen Latifah will present.—
Paul Grein,
Billboard,
30 Jan. 2026
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Jackson was the pioneer, but Ross was the amplifier.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bellwether.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bellwether. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.
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