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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 On the flip side, having multiple initiators on offense can also be big, and Reaves next to Dončić makes sense in that respect. — Zach Harper, New York Times, 1 July 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for initiator
  1. founder
  2. creator
  3. inventor
  4. author
  5. father
Noun
  • Fawaz briefly brought me up to date on Singer’s story, which stretches back to 2008 when founder Rob Dickinson started working on his own 1969 Porsche 911E in Los Angeles.
    — Michael Teo Van Runkle, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026
  • Rounding out the Dialogues latest additions is Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler, founders of Killer Films, also in conversation in Toronto.
    — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 31 July 2026
Definition of founder
Noun
  • Architect Francisco Urcola, icon and creator of San Sebastián’s Victoria Eugenia Theater and the Monumental Bullring in Seville, designed this place.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In Detroit, El-Sayed posed for photos and participated in interviews with content creators at a backyard pool party before a final rally with supporters.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of creator
Noun
  • The story may have been embellished by early biographers, but records show that Brunelleschi eventually gained recognition as the exclusive inventor and director of the dome.
    — Alicja Zelazko, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
  • Ethernet inventor Bob Metcalfe, a Turing prize winner, reflected on building early networks and the challenge of digital exhaustion.
    — John Werner, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026
Definition of inventor
Noun
  • Unlike the low-tech solution in American author Mary Mapes Dodge's 19th-century story, modern dike patrols are able to plot possible problems caused by drought in an app and send it to authorities who can then quickly carry our repairs.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and the author of The Power of Habit, which spent over three years on bestseller lists and has been translated into 40 languages, and Smarter Faster Better, also a bestseller.
    — Big Think, Big Think, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of author
Noun
  • Nessie is a native Londoner born to a Singaporean mother and an Egyptian father.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 22 July 2026
  • As someone who fed on emotion and belonging throughout his career, Keegan had always felt the pull of Newcastle United, the club of his father.
    — James Pearce, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Definition of father

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initiative
initiator
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Cite this Entry

“Initiator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/initiator. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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