as in settler
a person who settles in a new region
the hardships that the pioneers endured while taming the wilderness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in first
coming before all others in time or order
the nation's pioneer institution for the education of African-Americans
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to establish
to be responsible for the creation and early operation or use of
he single-handedly pioneered the university's institute for medical research
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 pioneer
Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 8 July 2025
Mary Shelley was a literary pioneer and her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, a feminist icon.
—Daphne Woolsoncroft, People.com, 8 July 2025
Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2024
Joshua Crawford, Baltimore Sun, 2 July 2025
Now-tired 2010 fads that Lorde pioneered, including bittersweet tropical-pop textures and moaning vocal snippets, are everywhere.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pioneer
Noun
Not all of them were there for mining—some Italians looked to the land for different riches and became pioneers of Golden State winemaking.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 8 July 2025
Mary Shelley was a literary pioneer and her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft, a feminist icon.
—Daphne Woolsoncroft, People.com, 8 July 2025
Adjective
In tandem with the modernist movement of the 20th century was the Danish concept of functionalism; a design philosophy of form follows function, which was introduced by pioneer Danish architects like Poul Henningsen and Vilhelm Lauritzen.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
This is the same approach that was pioneered in Boston in the mid-1990s and now operates in cities large and small all over the country.
—Joshua Crawford, Baltimore Sun, 2 July 2025
Now-tired 2010 fads that Lorde pioneered, including bittersweet tropical-pop textures and moaning vocal snippets, are everywhere.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 27 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for pioneer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pioneer
Noun
-
The primary driver of its extinction was likely the introduction of feral cats, brought to the island by naval crews and settlers.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
-
But Filson disappeared in the woods, presumed killed by the Shawnee, shortly before the first settlers arrived.—
Jeff Suess,
The Enquirer,
3 July 2025
Adjective
-
This is the first time the river has been opened to swimmers since 1923, Reuters reported.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
12 July 2025
-
Estévez, 32, has shined in his first season with the Royals.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
Since its inception in 2006, Sound and Fury quickly established itself as the event for hardcore and hardcore-adjacent music (from the heavier side of emo bands like Anxious to more extreme, metal-leaning acts) first in Los Angeles and then across the country.—
Josh Chesler,
Los Angeles Times,
11 July 2025
-
The main character of an upcoming DC Universe movie, Kara is the extraterrestrial cousin to Superman, rightful owner of the wily super-dog Krypto — and, as the Man of Steel and his robot friend Four (voiced by Alan Tudyk) establish, a party animal.—
Jack Smart,
People.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
The colonists settled mainly in the Colorado and Brazos river basins.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
-
For millennia, Indigenous peoples in North America, and later European colonists, derived part of their year-round sustenance from juneberry.—
The Editors,
JSTOR Daily,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
That makes the the initial 0.5% of income donated to charity not deductible.—
Bruce Brumberg,
Forbes.com,
15 July 2025
-
Last-minute amendments watered down initial requirements to produce annual impact assessments and mitigate algorithmic discrimination in an attempt to make the bill more palatable to the governor.—
Angela Eichhorst,
Hartford Courant,
15 July 2025
Verb
-
And even Silicon Valley founded companies believe that Europe has a big role to play.—
Sandy Carter,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
-
The American Colonization Society (ACS), founded in 1819, reached its zenith of support by the 1850s.—
Time,
Time,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
First launched in 1985, FIBO has become one of the earth’s foremost fitness and wellness-focused trade shows, with roughly 130,000 participants set to convene in Cologne, Germany in April 2026.—
Jared Ranahan,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
-
Paul, a foremost Republican critic against Trump’s tariff policy, said the latest tariff, which Trump said would go into effect Aug. 1, could lead to a slippery slope that harms the U.S.’s economic standing and Wall Street.—
Al Weaver,
The Hill,
10 July 2025
Verb
-
During the 19th century, the U.S. initiated three wars against the Seminoles in Florida.—
Daniel S. Murphree,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 July 2025
-
Autonomous Decision Making Agents can initiate nudges, recommend remediation or enroll users into adaptive coaching paths without needing admin intervention—saving time and scaling response. 4.—
Uzair Ahmed,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pioneer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pioneer. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share