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
Goodall, who has produced and directed a string of shorts and was an assistant on Disney movies including Christopher Robin and Lady and the Tramp, is spearheading the company’s creative development.
—
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 17 Apr. 2026
With Green draped all over him, spearheading the Warriors’ blitzing defensive attack, Leonard was held scoreless for the first 11 minutes and 43 seconds of the fourth quarter, even as the Clippers force-fed him the ball down the stretch.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Attorney and far-right politician Anthony Sabatini is spearheading the group chat participants’ First Amendment case.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2026
Barber began his foray into monument building by spearheading the installation of a statue of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins at KSC’s Apollo/Saturn V Center Moon Tree Garden in 2019.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
Prior to the Olympic break, the combination of Kevin Fiala and Andrei Kuzmenko was spearheading the Kings’ attack.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
Nirvana is widely credited with spearheading a cultural shift in music and fashion driven by grunge.
—Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
Cosgrove is spearheading the current campaign, working with advocacy group Save Our Beaches, which formed years ago to put a spotlight on the worsening sand erosion issues in the coastal town.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 6 Apr. 2026
Following a horrific first season, Glenn and Jets general manager Darren Mougey have made several free-agent acquisitions in hopes of spearheading a massive turnaround in 2026.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 17 Apr. 2026
With Green draped all over him, spearheading the Warriors’ blitzing defensive attack, Leonard was held scoreless for the first 11 minutes and 43 seconds of the fourth quarter, even as the Clippers force-fed him the ball down the stretch.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2026
Attorney and far-right politician Anthony Sabatini is spearheading the group chat participants’ First Amendment case.
—Claire Heddles, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2026
Barber began his foray into monument building by spearheading the installation of a statue of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins at KSC’s Apollo/Saturn V Center Moon Tree Garden in 2019.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Apr. 2026
Prior to the Olympic break, the combination of Kevin Fiala and Andrei Kuzmenko was spearheading the Kings’ attack.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 8 Apr. 2026
Nirvana is widely credited with spearheading a cultural shift in music and fashion driven by grunge.
—Nicole Briese, PEOPLE, 8 Apr. 2026
Cosgrove is spearheading the current campaign, working with advocacy group Save Our Beaches, which formed years ago to put a spotlight on the worsening sand erosion issues in the coastal town.
—Laylan Connelly, Oc Register, 6 Apr. 2026
Following a horrific first season, Glenn and Jets general manager Darren Mougey have made several free-agent acquisitions in hopes of spearheading a massive turnaround in 2026.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 1 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spearheading
Verb
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The league unveiled the three leading vote getters for all of its individual awards Sunday.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
20 Apr. 2026
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The Lakers were connected, apparently having had time to adjust to the loss of their two leading scorers, LeBron James acting as a brilliant playmaker for scorching hot shooters like Kennard, who hit all five of his treys in scoring a career playoff-high 27 points.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Prediction markets showed a sharp dropoff in users’ confidence that Swalwell would win the race; both markets showed Steyer as the leading candidate Friday afternoon, reversing the commanding lead Swalwell held for months.—
Lia Russell,
Sacbee.com,
11 Apr. 2026
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Defending champion Rory McIlroy, at 12-under-par, holds a commanding 6-shot lead over Sam Burns and Patrick Reed.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Spearheading.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spearheading. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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