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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Recent Examples of initiator
His focus was less on scoring and more on orchestrating plays, acting as the primary initiator of the Spurs’ offense.
—
Evan Dammarell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Plenty of brands already offer or are transitioning to TPO-free formulas that contain different photoinitiators (a chemical that makes gel polishes cure under a lamp instead of air-drying like regular polish) such as TPO-L, BAPO, or other resin initiators.
—Hannah Nwoko, Parents, 5 Sep. 2025
Wheeler was the initiator, Marcus Smith said Tuesday.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 26 Aug. 2025
The term point forward gets thrown around a lot, but Thomas legitimately serves as Phoenix’s offensive initiator.
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
Among the customers of our online prenup platform, First, roughly 50% of our prenup initiators are women.
—Libby Leffler, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2025
The president has previously incorrectly framed Ukraine as the initiator of the conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2025
Compared to summer 2024, when fashion was heavily influenced by pop stars like Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Brat initiator Charli XCX, this summer almost breezed by without a dominant fashion core or aesthetic to chase.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent initiators on high potency Wegovy and Zepbound—who started treatment in 2024—appear to be staying on their medications longer.
—Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Evan Dammarell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Plenty of brands already offer or are transitioning to TPO-free formulas that contain different photoinitiators (a chemical that makes gel polishes cure under a lamp instead of air-drying like regular polish) such as TPO-L, BAPO, or other resin initiators.
—Hannah Nwoko, Parents, 5 Sep. 2025
Wheeler was the initiator, Marcus Smith said Tuesday.
—Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 26 Aug. 2025
The term point forward gets thrown around a lot, but Thomas legitimately serves as Phoenix’s offensive initiator.
—Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2025
Among the customers of our online prenup platform, First, roughly 50% of our prenup initiators are women.
—Libby Leffler, Fortune, 24 Aug. 2025
The president has previously incorrectly framed Ukraine as the initiator of the conflict, which began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2025
Compared to summer 2024, when fashion was heavily influenced by pop stars like Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan and Brat initiator Charli XCX, this summer almost breezed by without a dominant fashion core or aesthetic to chase.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent initiators on high potency Wegovy and Zepbound—who started treatment in 2024—appear to be staying on their medications longer.
—Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for initiator
Noun
-
Sources who spoke to Fortune point to three founders in specific who are cashing out from the practice.—
Geoff Colvin,
Fortune,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Eisenberg famously played Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in the film, earning him a Best Actor nomination.—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Perhaps even the idea of an upscale magazine in the mold of Vanity Fair is simply less meaningful in a contemporary media landscape where celebrities constantly churn out their own content and popular culture is fragmented across a landscape of mid-sized creators.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Welcome to Derry co-creator, co-showrunner and exec producer Jason Fuchs has been tapped to write the My Hero Academia adaptation.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
From the early tinkerers who first imagined electrical speech to the engineers who built continental cables, digital switching, satellites, and wireless networks, countless inventors have pushed the limits of how far and how fast a human voice can travel.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Oct. 2025
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Seattle housewares brand Holcomb is the brainchild of inventor father and digital marketer daughter duo David and Ariel Holcomb.—
Alaina Chou,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Diane Brady is an award-winning business journalist and author who has interviewed newsmakers worldwide and often speaks about the global business landscape.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Aja Gabel is the author of the novel The Ensemble.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
After the death of his addict father, Ethan heads back to see if there’s any money to be made from selling his home, intending to stay, only briefly, with his aunt Sarah, Metcalf’s character, a Brunhilde of the high prairie.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
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When Aileen was 20 years old, the same year her father died, her older brother died of cancer, per Britannica.—
Emily Blackwood,
PEOPLE,
31 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Initiator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/initiator. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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