as in founders
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 fathers
Thanks to the brilliance of our founding fathers, there are some areas where governments are strictly limited in their ability to consider trade-offs.
—
Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
Our founding fathers experienced the heavy hand of a tyrannical government.
—Arkansas Online, 10 Mar. 2026
Legendary Chicago Bears owner George Halas was one of the founding fathers of the NFL.
—Ryan Baker, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
This is not the America our founding fathers envisioned — not one where journalists face arrest for covering protests and holding power accountable.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2026
Biery compared the administration's actions to those of King George III cited by the founding fathers in the Declaration of Independence.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
Atop Connecticut’s state Capitol building, Captain John Mason, depicted in his 1637 attack on the Pequots in Mystic, is enshrined among the state’s founding fathers.
—Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
And our founding fathers discussed this extensively in the Constitutional Convention and in the Federalist Papers, from Hamilton to Jefferson, the whole spectrum.
—NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
Aside from the Bible, English philosopher John Locke deeply influenced our founding fathers.
—James O. Cunningham, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
Our founding fathers experienced the heavy hand of a tyrannical government.
—Arkansas Online, 10 Mar. 2026
Legendary Chicago Bears owner George Halas was one of the founding fathers of the NFL.
—Ryan Baker, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
This is not the America our founding fathers envisioned — not one where journalists face arrest for covering protests and holding power accountable.
—Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2026
Biery compared the administration's actions to those of King George III cited by the founding fathers in the Declaration of Independence.
—Christopher Cann, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
Atop Connecticut’s state Capitol building, Captain John Mason, depicted in his 1637 attack on the Pequots in Mystic, is enshrined among the state’s founding fathers.
—Livi Stanford, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2026
And our founding fathers discussed this extensively in the Constitutional Convention and in the Federalist Papers, from Hamilton to Jefferson, the whole spectrum.
—NBC news, 18 Jan. 2026
Aside from the Bible, English philosopher John Locke deeply influenced our founding fathers.
—James O. Cunningham, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for founding fathers
Noun
-
Jolene co-founders Anthony Kiedis and Shane Powers pose with Meadow Lane founder, Sammy Nussdorf, at the gourmet grocer's Tribeca location in New York.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
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Marisha Brown-Smith, the granddaughter of founders Anthony and Alda Rieke, said the family recipe has stayed the same for nine decades.—
Joseph Hernandez,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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All that credit goes to the co-creators Marla Mindelle, Constantine Rousouli and director Tye Blue, who have crafted one of the sharpest books Broadway has seen in years.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
-
In the late nineties and early two-thousands, Romania became a destination for international TV and film projects whose creators wanted to hire crews who were cheap and willing to endure unlimited hours.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Harry closed his Movember appearance with a message to fathers about mental health and the realities of parenthood.—
Megan Hustwaite,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Five fathers, including Mendez’s father, Gonzalo, who led the effort, filed the lawsuit in 1945 against school districts in Westminster, Garden Grove, Santa Ana and El Modena, which today falls under the Orange Unified School District.—
Victoria Le,
Oc Register,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
As the study authors stated, the historical sources on the Roman Empire typically don’t include information about the provinces far from the capital.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
19 Apr. 2026
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Why royalties don't always add up In theory, authors earn additional money through royalties once book sales exceed the advance.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Founding fathers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/founding%20fathers. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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