INITIATOR Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

initiator

noun

as in founder

a person who establishes a whole new field of endeavor as the initiator of printing from movable type, Gutenberg revolutionized people's access to written language

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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 initiator The Mavericks — not exactly bursting at the seams with other high-level offensive initiators — must be careful not to wear him down. — Doug Haller, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026 Reaching out to express gratitude, offer help, or simply listen is consistently rated as more rewarding by the recipient than the initiator expects. — Julie Kratz, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026 Repurposing a prototype One of the scientists, and the initiator of the record-creating project, was Pierre Léna. — Dhananjay Khadilkar, ArsTechnica, 7 Aug. 2026 The researchers used liquid metal particles (LMPs) as initiators for polymerization, the chemical process used to form the hydrogel network. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 3 June 2026 His top recommendation for the latter was Pitzock, the restaurant run by his uncle Oskar Messner, one of the initiators of the Slow Food movement in the valley and among the most knowledgeable sources in the region on local ingredients and tradition. — Jenn Rice, Travel + Leisure, 7 May 2026 Los Angeles also employed Luke Kennard as a ballhandler and initiator, and guard Marcus Smart is back after missing nearly three weeks with a right ankle injury. — ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026 Peterson is breathtakingly talented as a scorer and on-ball initiator, but health concerns have marred an otherwise impressive freshman season. — Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026 History suggests that wars aimed at reshaping political systems hardly ever unfold as their initiators intend. — Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for initiator

Noun

The leading contributor, as my colleague Queenie Wong has reported, is Google co-founder Sergey Brin, who claims to have moved out of the state, which might enable him to avoid the tax.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
Someone else wants a softer version of the founder’s hard lesson.

— Tavares Beverly, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of founder

Noun

Disney offered creators a wide variety of future opportunities, including set visits, press junkets and red carpet interviews with talent.

— Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Deepfake memes grant a similar carte blanche to their creators, while introducing even pricklier questions about race and authenticity.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of creator

Noun

Yves Saint Laurent is often cited as the inventor of ready-to-wear through the launch in 1966 of his Rive Gauche collection.

— Miles Socha, Footwear News, 12 Oct. 2026
In return for this disclosure, inventors — and any companies that license the patents — receive a limited period of time where no rival is able to copy the discovery and sell it as their own.

— Dr. Bowman Heiden, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of inventor

Noun

This realization has helped lead to the creation of a bench with life-size statues of 19th century author Robert Louis Stevenson, his wife Fanny Stevenson and their Irish setter cocker spaniel ChuChu.

— Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 18 Oct. 2026
The author argued that the unrest reflected deeper failures by France’s political establishment.

— Sophia Compton, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of author

Noun

Cassegrain is the company’s third-ever CEO, following his father and grandfather.

— Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
Born in Los Angeles in 1954 to parents who hailed from Chicago, his father, Warren, founded a tape duplication service and later served as vice president of sales at Sussex Records, which produced acts like R&B crooner Bill Withers.

— Carolina A. Miranda, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of father

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“Initiator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/initiator. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of initiator

noun

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