as in founder
a person who establishes a whole new field of endeavor
Theodor Herzl is often credited as the founding father of modern Zionism
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Recent Examples of founding father
The epicenter of it all is the manor, home to the town's founding father, John, and his wife, Ruth.
—
Kim Hudson, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
Our founding fathers experienced the heavy hand of a tyrannical government.
—Arkansas Online, 10 Mar. 2026
Evidence found in the DOJ files indicate that Epstein funded at least one other scientific conference, this one organized by Marvin Minsky, a mathematician considered to be a founding father of artificial intelligence.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 9 Mar. 2026
What is rarely recounted is the key role played in that coup by two leading ayatollahs—Abol-Qasem Kashani and Mohammad Behbahani—who were heroes and mentors to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founding father of the Islamic Republic.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for founding father
Kim Hudson, CBS News, 12 Mar. 2026
Our founding fathers experienced the heavy hand of a tyrannical government.
—Arkansas Online, 10 Mar. 2026
Evidence found in the DOJ files indicate that Epstein funded at least one other scientific conference, this one organized by Marvin Minsky, a mathematician considered to be a founding father of artificial intelligence.
—Scott Neuman, NPR, 9 Mar. 2026
What is rarely recounted is the key role played in that coup by two leading ayatollahs—Abol-Qasem Kashani and Mohammad Behbahani—who were heroes and mentors to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founding father of the Islamic Republic.
—Bobby Ghosh, Time, 5 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for founding father
Recent Examples of Synonyms for founding father
Noun
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Zhang Bo, co-founder of Didi and head of its autonomous driving business, disclosed the plans at a UAE-China business cooperation forum in Beijing earlier this week, according to the statement.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
15 Apr. 2026
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Wildtype co-founders Justin Kolbeck and Aryé Elfenbein invited chefs to their headquarters in San Francisco and then went to the restaurants during early days of service, providing FAQ sheets that informed how chefs label the product on menus.—
Jaia Clingham-David,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Beef Season 2 tackles everything from healthcare inequity to class dynamics and diaspora identity, and a majority of it was inspired by real-life events, creator Lee Sung Jin said.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
19 Apr. 2026
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More recently, Higher Ground has been setting up projects outside of Netflix, including the HBO sketch comedy series Life Larry, and the Pursuit of Unhappiness, from creator Larry David and Jeff Schaffer, which premieres in June.—
Kimberly Nordyke,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Neither could Kendall, who had spent happy teenage years there with his father, stepmother, and brothers—and was still launching his boat from a dock on the property to work his oyster beds.—
Jennifer Stewart Kornegay,
Southern Living,
15 Apr. 2026
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Augustine, a bishop in the late fourth and early fifth centuries, is the spiritual father of the Augustinian order of which the pontiff is a member and former leader.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Founding father.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/founding%20father. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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