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
Another trailblazer, Pat Summitt, is the subject of a new documentary.
—
Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
Uzbekistan will make that two this summer, but the question is whether the 2006 trailblazers will be there as well.
—Will Jeanes, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2026
As some tech trailblazers in recent years have become more comfortable with developing weapons, Southern California has emerged as a hub for defense tech startups.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Outside’s 2026 Travel Awards feature 25 trailblazers, places to stay, and travel companies that are rewriting the rules of adventure.
—The Editors, Outside, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trailblazer
Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
Uzbekistan will make that two this summer, but the question is whether the 2006 trailblazers will be there as well.
—Will Jeanes, New York Times, 24 Mar. 2026
As some tech trailblazers in recent years have become more comfortable with developing weapons, Southern California has emerged as a hub for defense tech startups.
—Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Outside’s 2026 Travel Awards feature 25 trailblazers, places to stay, and travel companies that are rewriting the rules of adventure.
—The Editors, Outside, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for trailblazer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trailblazer
Noun
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Close has said that sharing a UCLA championship with Meyers Drysdale and other pioneers who paved the way for her program would be special.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
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In other words, the hybrid pioneer has finally grown up.—
Sponsored Content,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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The early colonists were very much anti-idol worshippers and even modern Catholics, as Vice President Vance surely knows, have long been criticized by their Protestant counterparts for a love of statuary, reliquaries and other iconography that some have argued fall into idolatry.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The hidden history of Black explorers There have been many Black explorers in American history.—
Craig Fehrman,
Space.com,
6 Apr. 2026
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With the Orion toilet malfunctioning, the astronauts are resorting to a technique employed by the deep-space explorers of the mid-20th century.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trailblazer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trailblazer. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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