as in leading
to serve as leader of
unofficially at least, Martin Luther King spearheaded the civil rights movement
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Recent Examples of spearheading
In baseball, Hill led Orange Coast to the 1980 state championship under Mayne and was drafted and signed by the A’s in 1981 after spearheading Arizona State to the NCAA national championship.
—
Richard Dunn, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
D'Amaro served as president of Walt Disney World Resort before stepping in as chairman of Disney Experiences in 2020, spearheading efforts at the company's theme parks, cruises and resorts division.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Peter Long, whose great-grandparents were the first caretakers of the land, is part of the current generation spearheading this movement toward ranch sustainability and inclusion.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 3 Feb. 2026
The new Ceccarelli 40 was developed in partnership with Francesco Paszkowski Design, with Sebastian Martinez spearheading the exteriors, Names Studio executing naval architecture, and Margherita Casprini working on interiors.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 2 Feb. 2026
The State Bar is spearheading a separate inquiry into fraud allegations.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
America250, the entity created by Congress to lead celebrations, is spearheading coordination with the NFL and other sports leagues to mark the semiquincentennial.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 30 Jan. 2026
That’s partly why South Dakota is spearheading the effort to address what could become a disconnect between state and federal regulations.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 29 Jan. 2026
Reid has long preferred spearheading the offense, which is why the club and Nagy agreed to part ways.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 27 Jan. 2026
Richard Dunn, Oc Register, 5 Feb. 2026
D'Amaro served as president of Walt Disney World Resort before stepping in as chairman of Disney Experiences in 2020, spearheading efforts at the company's theme parks, cruises and resorts division.
—Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Peter Long, whose great-grandparents were the first caretakers of the land, is part of the current generation spearheading this movement toward ranch sustainability and inclusion.
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 3 Feb. 2026
The new Ceccarelli 40 was developed in partnership with Francesco Paszkowski Design, with Sebastian Martinez spearheading the exteriors, Names Studio executing naval architecture, and Margherita Casprini working on interiors.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 2 Feb. 2026
The State Bar is spearheading a separate inquiry into fraud allegations.
—Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
America250, the entity created by Congress to lead celebrations, is spearheading coordination with the NFL and other sports leagues to mark the semiquincentennial.
—Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 30 Jan. 2026
That’s partly why South Dakota is spearheading the effort to address what could become a disconnect between state and federal regulations.
—Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 29 Jan. 2026
Reid has long preferred spearheading the offense, which is why the club and Nagy agreed to part ways.
—Pete Sweeney, Kansas City Star, 27 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spearheading
Verb
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Judges ruled Lai was the mastermind Lai was arrested in August 2020 under the security law that was used in a years-long crackdown on many of Hong Kong’s leading activists.—
Kanis Leung,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
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The 15 consecutive wins are also the most under Lawson, who is in her fifth full season leading the Blue Devils (18-6, 13-0).—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Glittering red French tips are a simple yet commanding choice—go for a cat-eye finish for extra impact.—
Odeya Pinkus,
InStyle,
7 Feb. 2026
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There are many games that offer similar FPV warfare experiences, including driving tanks, piloting fighter jets, and commanding submarines.—
Archie Clarke,
CBS News,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spearheading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spearheading. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
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