LEADERS Synonyms: 118 Similar and Opposite Words

leaders

noun

plural of leader

as in conduits

a long hollow cylinder for carrying a substance (as a liquid or gas) the leader funnels water off of the roof and down into the cistern

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in bosses

the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do the team leader is good at making sure that everyone keeps busy at their assigned tasks

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in pioneers

one that takes the lead or sets an example an architectural firm that is widely regarded as a leader in innovative residential design

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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 leaders Trade negotiators from both sides are reportedly slated to meet in mid-March to lay the groundwork for the leaders’ summit. —

Anniek Bao, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2026 Tottenham are drifting, and need to find leaders somewhere, or their season will end in the ignominy of a first relegation in 49 years. —

Jay Harris, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026 After Hamas attacked Israel, on October 7, 2023, triggering a broad Israeli military campaign in Gaza, Israel killed Hamas leaders and decimated its military capabilities. —

Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 12 Mar. 2026 Despite the attacks, Iranian leaders have vowed to continue fighting and have launched drones and missiles at Israel as well as US bases and energy infrastructure in nearby countries. —

Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 11 Mar. 2026 The expectation that leaders be held accountable before starting wars? —

Jodi Bondi Norgaard, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026 The tours, some lasting 30 to 45 minutes, included repeat visits to certain sites, the most recent occurring as recently as three weeks ago, according to two business leaders with knowledge of the visits. —

Nick Wooten, Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026 The team’s top five leaders in minutes this year are all returning players, giving the program unusual continuity during an era when successful mid-major squads often lose their best players through the transfer portal, enticed by more money from power conference schools. —

Lev Akabas, Sportico.com, 11 Mar. 2026 House Democrats are facing an internal split, with centrists who are circulating an alternative plan while remaining noncommittal or opposed to their leaders’ war powers measure. —

Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 5 Mar. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for leaders

Noun

In the show’s understanding of powerful men’s lust for young — often too young — women, Hayley and, subsequently, Yasmin are positioned as conduits between the elite and their transgressive desires, not unlike Ghislaine Maxwell’s role in Epstein’s broader scheme.

— Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 5 Mar. 2026
Beneath the deck, or roadway surface, the structure carries sewer, water and recycled water pipelines and conduits for electrical and fiber optic cables.

— Phil Diehl, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Feb. 2026