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
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
Whitefield, one of the most influential public figures of the 18th century, and printer, thinker and founding father Franklin formed a bond rooted in shared concern for the future of the colonies.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 3 Apr. 2026
Many Cubans do not believe that Díaz-Canel holds much power in Cuba, anyway, as opposed to revolutionary founding father Raúl Castro and his family.
—ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for founding father
Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 3 Apr. 2026
Whitefield, one of the most influential public figures of the 18th century, and printer, thinker and founding father Franklin formed a bond rooted in shared concern for the future of the colonies.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 3 Apr. 2026
Many Cubans do not believe that Díaz-Canel holds much power in Cuba, anyway, as opposed to revolutionary founding father Raúl Castro and his family.
—ABC News, 17 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for founding father
Recent Examples of Synonyms for founding father
Noun
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Lonnie Ali, the boxer's wife and co-founder of the Ali Center, is an executive producer and consultant on the project due out later this year.—
Wendy Naugle,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
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Musk, who donated $38 million to OpenAI early on, wanted control of the for-profit; the other founders were against it.—
John Ruwitch,
NPR,
12 May 2026
Noun
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Mamdani had spent the preceding weeks observing Ramadan alongside members of the city’s Muslim communities, breaking fast in iftar gatherings with union members or content creators.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
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The award marks further recognition of both creator-writer Raphael Montes, king of crime fiction in Brazil, and in this case HBO Max Latin America’s first original telenovela as global streamers move very successfully into the long series format.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
10 May 2026
Noun
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The toughest part was telling his father, Lewis, his biggest champion.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
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Her mother, Megan Briones, and younger brother, Teo Briones, are actors, as is her father, Jon Jon Briones.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Founding father.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/founding%20father. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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