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
Nosrat was often on soup duty at Alice Waters’ acclaimed Berkeley, California, bistro, which was a trailblazer in the farm-to-table movement.
—
Karla Walsh, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025
Radio was instrumental to creating political power and representation of the community, Amandi said, adding that without radio, many politicians would not have reached important national political positions, becoming trailblazers for Hispanics.
—Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 12 Dec. 2025
Exactly 20 years later, and likely just weeks away from announcing his (second) successor, Iger is once again trying to play trailblazer.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
With their eclectic sound, The Mavericks are cemented as groovy, musical trailblazers in the Nashville music community and beyond.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trailblazer
Karla Walsh, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025
Radio was instrumental to creating political power and representation of the community, Amandi said, adding that without radio, many politicians would not have reached important national political positions, becoming trailblazers for Hispanics.
—Sarah Moreno, Miami Herald, 12 Dec. 2025
Exactly 20 years later, and likely just weeks away from announcing his (second) successor, Iger is once again trying to play trailblazer.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 11 Dec. 2025
With their eclectic sound, The Mavericks are cemented as groovy, musical trailblazers in the Nashville music community and beyond.
—Audrey Gibbs, Nashville Tennessean, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for trailblazer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trailblazer
Noun
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His father, Carl Reiner, was a legendary pioneer in television who created the iconic 1960s comedy, The Dick Van Dyke Show.—
Steve Futterman,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2026
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Chua is often credited as one of the pioneers of modern mixology in Singapore.—
Iona Brannon,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In addition, the creation of the fetishes, with their bits of bone, dirt, plants, and other objects, also unnerved enslavers and colonists.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Jan. 2026
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Virginia is recognized as the birthplace of American wine, since colonists attempted the craft in the early 17th century.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
1 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The explorers held a small celebration and called their landing spot Point du Mardi Gras.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
8 Jan. 2026
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Venezuela had been known to possess some crude — 15th-century Spanish explorers noticed indigenous people using oil for fires and asphalt to patch their canoes.—
David Goldman,
CNN Money,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trailblazer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trailblazer. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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