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

Journey founder/guitarist Neal Schon returned to the stage 10 minutes later and said that Castronovo had been taken to the hospital, per the outlet.

— Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2026
Compared to Springsteen or Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, Horwitz and Haugen were largely unfamiliar to the public, giving White more room to make the role his own.

— Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of founder

Noun

Mann spoke about one the challenges of being a creator was how to evolve.

— Leo Barraclough, Variety, 12 Oct. 2026
In the film, directed by Danny Boyle and written by Aaron Sorkin, Jobs (Michael Fassbender) is still the indisputable hero, a creator of miraculous products that can be only so marred by his personal blemishes.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of creator

Noun

The photos also provide a peek at John Cadbury (Pearce Quigley), Elizabeth’s mother, Dorothy (Joanna Scanlan), and fellow inventor, Joseph Rowntree (Mathew Baynton).

— Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026
The five original Nobel Prizes were created under the terms of Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Nobel’s will and have been awarded since 1901, with only limited interruptions, chiefly during World War I and World War II.

— Reuters, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of inventor

Noun

The film stars Masami Nagasawa as a free-spirited children’s author who invites her doting husband and secret girlfriend to enter into a three-way relationship of convenience, when both partners simultaneously express their desire to start a family.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
What readers are saying The conversation explores the personal journey of the author in managing OCD, with many participants expressing admiration for the author's self-awareness and bravery in seeking help.

— Eva Jaber, Washington Post, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of author

Noun

The trip marks the first visit by a Spanish monarch to the two cities since Felipe's father, Juan Carlos I, toured them in 2007.

— JOSEPH WILSON, Arkansas Online, 14 Oct. 2026
For Rukhsar Amrohi, who also calls Kumari Chhoti Ammi, the film is a token of the couple’s love, made by her father out of his love for Kumari.

— Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of father

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“Initiator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/initiator. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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noun

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