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
Its goal is to undo the founding fathers' vision of India as a secular country, home to people with many faiths.
—
Rob Schmitz, NPR, 25 Apr. 2026
Widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of hip-hop, Grandmaster Flash revolutionized the art of DJing, according to a press release shared with PEOPLE.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
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
Rob Schmitz, NPR, 25 Apr. 2026
Widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of hip-hop, Grandmaster Flash revolutionized the art of DJing, according to a press release shared with PEOPLE.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for founding fathers
Noun
-
Adorno was one of the founders of the Frankfurt School of critical theory, and Habermas took up his mantle as the leader of the school’s second generation, spending most of his career at the University of Frankfurt.—
Adam Kirsch,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
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Just 5% of the founders were in the technology and SaaS sector.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Stars of the original musical, like Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells, as well as creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, return home from their mission in Hollywood.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
-
The comedians recapped the content creators' ongoing beef, which came to a head when Cooper called out Earle in a TikTok shared on April 13.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
While there are plenty of fathers who do this job in the modern age, the load-bearing parent is still the mother of the family much more often than not.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Absent parents, especially fathers, represent a significant cause of estrangement; mental illness is often a factor too.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
During the long aftermath of the civil-rights movement, many authors and advocates imagined that King’s struggle could be continued by expanding its reach.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Texas colleges and universities have lined up notable speakers for their graduating classes this month — including athletes, authors, public officeholders and industry leaders.—
Samantha Ketterer,
Houston Chronicle,
3 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Founding fathers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/founding%20fathers. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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