1
as in pioneer
a person or group that originates new concepts, styles, and techniques
The Beatles are recognized as some of the greatest trailblazers of rock music.
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2
as in colonist
a person who settles in a new region
The Mayflower brought with it a group of European trailblazers, determined to make a home of that land dubbed "New England."
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Recent Examples of trailblazer
Prior to this point, the Dead were intergalactic musical trailblazers with a grounding in the earthy rhythm and blues of this world of ours.
—
Colin Fleming, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
The film focuses on three of these women—Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson—who were trailblazers for African American women in science and engineering.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Apr. 2026
In Aries – the zodiac’s fearless trailblazer — the sun burns hotter and brighter.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
Nancy Metayer Bowen was a politically-ambitious trailblazer for a new generation of Haitian Americans in South Florida before her tragic death, which is being criminally investigated, was announced Wednesday.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trailblazer
Colin Fleming, New York Daily News, 5 Apr. 2026
The film focuses on three of these women—Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson—who were trailblazers for African American women in science and engineering.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 3 Apr. 2026
In Aries – the zodiac’s fearless trailblazer — the sun burns hotter and brighter.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026
Nancy Metayer Bowen was a politically-ambitious trailblazer for a new generation of Haitian Americans in South Florida before her tragic death, which is being criminally investigated, was announced Wednesday.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trailblazer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trailblazer
Noun
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Though ostracized in their time, people who resisted internment are now seen as civil-rights pioneers.—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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The artist, lawyer and running pioneer unveiled her self-portrait in bronze alongside the Hopkinton Town Green this spring — the first statue of a woman on the historic route to Boston.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The 1774 Articles of Association, which urged colonists to boycott British goods.—
Linh Tat,
Daily News,
13 Apr. 2026
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Portugal and Germany in Southern Africa For much of the 19th century, Portuguese colonists in Angola and Mozambique were fewer in number and weaker in authority than those in the interior of South Africa.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The modern name comes from the Russian explorer who first formally identified them.—
Derek Gatopoulos,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Apr. 2026
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Brace for record 'sargassum summer' Scientists at USF, using satellite data, have been finding record masses of sargassum seaweed floating in the waters near Florida in recent years, way beyond what early Spanish explorers likely saw.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
18 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trailblazer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trailblazer. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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