1
as in inventor
one who creates or introduces something new
Thomas Edison was the originator of the light bulb
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in founder
a person who establishes a whole new field of endeavor
Copernicus is sometimes hailed as the originator of modern astronomy, for he overturned the notion of an earth-centered universe
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of originator
Landry, who also called the defensive plays, was the originator of the famed 4-3 defense, an alignment many NFL teams use today, including the Cowboys.
—
Dallas Morning News, 22 Jan. 2026
The new locale expands the options while keeping the menu concise, introducing dishes that have nothing to do with dough and everything to do with the emotional connection had by their originators.
—Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 14 Jan. 2026
Some people even shared old photos of Indigenous peoples wearing the hoods, noting that the originators of the design kept the fur outward to break cold wind and trap snow.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
Its owners expanded to a new downtown outpost, and later closed the Monterey Park originator.
—Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for originator
Dallas Morning News, 22 Jan. 2026
The new locale expands the options while keeping the menu concise, introducing dishes that have nothing to do with dough and everything to do with the emotional connection had by their originators.
—Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 14 Jan. 2026
Some people even shared old photos of Indigenous peoples wearing the hoods, noting that the originators of the design kept the fur outward to break cold wind and trap snow.
—Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026
Its owners expanded to a new downtown outpost, and later closed the Monterey Park originator.
—Stephanie Breijo, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for originator
Recent Examples of Synonyms for originator
Noun
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Most eFoil riders stand with their feet as the only two points of contact, but Canadian inventor Jerry McArthur – who came up through motocross and snowmobiles, not surf culture – thought that keeping your hands free meant leaving stability on the table.—
Omar Kardoudi
March 11,
New Atlas,
11 Mar. 2026
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On February 14, 1876, Bell’s lawyers filed his application at the Patent Office at almost the same time that a fellow inventor, Elisha Gray, submitted a caveat for a similar idea.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Kiani is the founder and executive chair of Willow Laboratories and the former chair and CEO of Masimo.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
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Once the deal closes, most Maplewood production will shift to Half Acre, according to Ari Megalis, head distiller and co-founder of Maplewood.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Lucy Maguire is Features Director at Vogue Business, writing and commissioning features across all verticals, with a focus on fashion industry moves, international fashion weeks, trends and consumer behaviour, alongside interviews with key designers, founders and executives.—
Lucy Maguire,
Vogue,
12 Mar. 2026
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But in recent years, they’ve been turned into studios for architects and designers and other creatives whose floor-to-ceiling windows face one another under Chinatown’s bright sky.—
Xuan Juliana Wang,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Agricultural businesses need storytellers, social media managers and content creators to share engaging and transparent narratives about the innovative efforts taking place on their farms.—
Metro Creative Services,
Boston Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
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That’s not what the program’s creators had hoped for, said Vinnie Cervantes, executive director of the Denver Alliance for Street Health Response, an organization that helped start the program.—
Shelly Bradbury,
Denver Post,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
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An Israeli intelligence assessment, meanwhile, found Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, was wounded at the start of the war -- on the day when his father and predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in an Israeli airstrike.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
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In Chicago, Martinez’s father picked up minimum-wage jobs.—
Ruby Cramer,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The seventh annual San Diego Writers Festival is set to return to the Coronado Public Library and surrounding venues later this month, and three of the many authors participating in the event are La Jollans.—
Ashley Mackin Solomon,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
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Obvious comparisons will be drawn between Project Hail Mary and other space survival movies like Gravity or The Martian, the latter also based on a sci-fi novel by the same author, Andy Weir.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Originator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/originator. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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