founded

verb

past tense of found
as in established
to be responsible for the creation and early operation or use of John Harvard did not actually found the university that now bears his name

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of founded The company was founded by Kush Agarwal and Arvin Singh, who have backgrounds in aerospace engineering and aircraft development at the University of California, Los Angeles. — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2026 Jacob Bickelhaupt co-founded the now-shuttered Konro restaurant in West Palm Beach, where his ex-wife was a partner. — Zoey Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026 Sound Ventures was co-founded by Oseary and actor Ashton Kutcher, with Kutcher leaving the firm earlier this year. — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 29 Oct. 2026 Jake had co-founded a web platform that preserved family home videos. — Rachel Labonte, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Oct. 2026 But that’s appealing to a certain kind of person, says Mike Wessman, who founded Tom’s Key Company in 2018 to offer key supplies and reprogramming tools online. — Alison J. Stein, HubSpot, 29 Oct. 2026 Brandon McElroy, who founded the nonprofit Green Air Solutions to lead the fight against J7, said in an interview that the denial was a decisive win. — Elizabeth Campbell, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026 Alpha was founded in Austin, Texas, in 2014 by MacKenzie Price, who has become an outspoken critic of traditional schooling. — Maya Blackstone, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 In 1982, Dennis Gillings founded Quintiles in North Carolina to run clinical trials for drugmakers. — Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for founded
  1. established
  2. pioneered
  3. launched
  4. initiated
  5. introduced
  6. created
  7. instituted
Verb
  • Talks will take place under the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, or UNTOC, a global treaty established in 2003 to combat international criminal networks, money laundering, and corruption.
    — Spoorthy Raman, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
  • His attorneys dispute that his role as administrator established responsibility for threats allegedly made by others.
    — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of established
Verb
  • The modern-day interpretation of the holiday was pioneered by the Eastside nonprofit Self Help Graphics & Art, which hosted its first Día de los Muertos public celebration in 1972.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Robin Hardy’s 1973 film is a cult classic that pioneered and defined folk horror and inspired later movies in the subgenre, including Ari Aster’s Midsommar.
    — Air Mail, Air Mail, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of pioneered
Verb
  • Russia launched more than 20 attacks on Ukraine's Dnipropetrovsk region overnight into Sunday, using drones and an aerial bomb, according to local authorities.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • According to Ukrainian authorities, over 153 Russian Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) were launched at Ukraine from Russia, mainly targeting large department stores and warehouses.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of launched
Verb
  • Investigators must still determine how much cryptocurrency remains accessible to whoever initiated the transfers.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026
  • The Colts initiated a blockbuster to kick off the trade deadline period, sending Nelson, an All-Pro guard, to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick and 2028 fifth-round pick on Tuesday.
    — Scott Thompson OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of initiated
Verb
  • The government also promised 15,000 additional places in higher education, introduced across the next two years, and increases in student grants linked to inflation from the start of the next academic year.
    — Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Government bond investors want cuts to public spending, less borrowing and business-friendly measures aimed at boosting growth, such as reversing some of the payroll tax increases introduced under Reeves.
    — Ian King, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of introduced
Verb
  • In November 2021, crew members took shelter inside their spacecraft after a Russian anti-satellite weapons test created a dangerous cloud of debris.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
  • The series, created by Marc Crehuet with Alejandra Guimerà, was co-penned by Crehuet with Carmen Marfá, Natalia Boadas and Serielizados co-founder Víctor Sala.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of created
Verb
  • Gascón instituted a number of unilateral policies on his first day in office — barring prosecutors from trying juveniles as adults, seeking the death penalty or charging certain misdemeanors — that left him at war with his own staff.
    — James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • French authorities instituted overnight curfews in several cities Monday in a bid to control violent cost-of-living protests that have fueled the country’s far right.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of instituted

Browse Nearby Words

foundations
founded
founder
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Cite this Entry

“Founded.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/founded. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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