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 His expectations fell after a forgettable Las Vegas Summer League, where much was made of his attempts as an on-ball initiator. — Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 11 Sep. 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

ConnCAT and ConnCORP founder Carlton Highsmith, who serves as the board chair of both organizations, had already announced his own plans to step down at the end of the year.

— P.R. Lockhart, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
Sidney Baptista, founder of Pynrs streetwear — which has collaborated with Brooks Running — brought up ownership in fashion as well in conversation with Brooks athlete and pro marathoner Erika Kemp.

— Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of founder

Noun

But while the creators of AI strive to set guardrails, the building of the infrastructure for the technology continues.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
The 2026 schedule of festival activities includes gala screenings, anniversary screenings, and athlete and creator conversations.

— Brent Lang, IndieWire, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of creator

Noun

Sid Vicious, Johnny Rotten’s friend and inventor of the Pogo dance, was on drums.

— Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2026
With steel and aluminum in limited supply in World War II, Allied forces gave serious consideration to a proposal made by English inventor Geoffrey Pyke to build ships out of little more than frozen water.

— Mike McRae September 16, New Atlas, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of inventor

Noun

Flournoy was joined in conversation by Brit Bennett, author of the New York Times bestselling novel The Vanishing Half, and Raven Leilani, author of The Center for Fiction First Novel Prize-winning book Luster.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Sep. 2026
La Presse said that a 2012 short story by Orelien had plagiarized passages from a book by French author Louis Pauwels, while a 2013 opinion piece copied from The Philippine Star newspaper.

— CNN Money, CNN Money, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of author

Noun

In comparison, LaBeouf has long been open about his tumultuous childhood and has said that his father was a recovering addict, and at times abusive.

— Payton Turkeltaub, Variety, 30 Sep. 2026
Charles’ brothers, Frederick, David and Bill, also inherited stakes in the company after their father’s death.

— Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of father

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“Initiator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/initiator. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of initiator

noun

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