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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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
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
As the system doesn’t require kick-starting with chemical initiators, it could eventually be integrated into large-scale industrial recycling plants.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026
Ausar Thompson is the Pistons’ second-most effective offensive initiator after Cunningham.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 11 Mar. 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
And when Aaron's healthier, that's an initiator of our offense as well.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
PiqlFilm is also the initiator of the Arctic World Archive (AWA), a repository for world memory located in Northern Norway on the Arctic Ocean.
—Thomas Coughlin, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
The mega-stars and Göteborg natives Alicia Vikander and Ruben Östlund are major supporters of the festival – Alicia as initiator of the Alicia Vikander Film Lab which supports next gen filmmakers in Góteborg and Ruben as Honorary President.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
ABC News, 14 Apr. 2026
As the system doesn’t require kick-starting with chemical initiators, it could eventually be integrated into large-scale industrial recycling plants.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026
Ausar Thompson is the Pistons’ second-most effective offensive initiator after Cunningham.
—Jared Weiss, New York Times, 11 Mar. 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
And when Aaron's healthier, that's an initiator of our offense as well.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
PiqlFilm is also the initiator of the Arctic World Archive (AWA), a repository for world memory located in Northern Norway on the Arctic Ocean.
—Thomas Coughlin, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
The mega-stars and Göteborg natives Alicia Vikander and Ruben Östlund are major supporters of the festival – Alicia as initiator of the Alicia Vikander Film Lab which supports next gen filmmakers in Góteborg and Ruben as Honorary President.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for initiator
Noun
-
Today guests come not from Rome as the Cité’s founders did, but from across France, northern Spain (the border is just two hours away), England (there are direct Ryanair flights to Carcassonne’s small airport), as well as the US.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The idea to create these pieces, which deftly straddle the world of art and fashion, came from a sketch that founder Erin Saluti made more than a decade ago—her dream purse, made from a block of wood.—
Mark Ellwood,
Robb Report,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
The new, polar bear-esque robot by the inventor of the iRobot vacuum was all over the internet this week — eyelashes beating and tail wagging.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
6 May 2026
-
Before the pandemic, there was an annual recognition for the most prolific inventor.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
That study’s authors suggested that, despite having larger total cranial capacity (more room in their skulls), Neanderthals, on average, had smaller cerebellums than Homo sapiens.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Cowritten with veteran author Lin Oliver, Hawn's book follows three outlier elementary school students who strike up a friendship and decide to find a home for a rambunctious shelter dog.—
Eric Andersson,
PEOPLE,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The toughest part was telling his father, Lewis, his biggest champion.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
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
“Initiator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/initiator. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
