1
as in pioneers
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 colonists
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 trailblazers
Continuing the support of Franco-American collaborations were high-end retailers like Neiman Marcus in Dallas, which, having already embraced the couture, continued to showcase trailblazers in French fashion like Cristóbal Balenciaga and Hubert de Givenchy, amongst others.
—
Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 26 May 2026
Strikeforce held its first MMA event in 2006, a night that was echoed in the formula used by MVP this month, leaning on former UFC legends and trailblazers Ken Shamrock and Cesar Gracie.
—Mark Puleo, New York Times, 21 May 2026
For decades, late-night TV has introduced trailblazers trying to break, or reinvent, the staid routine of stand-up monologues and celebrity chitchat.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
As part of the pregame ceremonies, the team will unveil a permanent display to honor former players and LGBTQ trailblazers Billy Bean and Glenn Burke.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 12 May 2026
This past weekend, however, that same style buzz was injected into one of Santa Fe’s slower months—bringing together a unique crowd of Indigenous trailblazers and innovators that instantly livened up the city.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 11 May 2026
Two trailblazers — Roger Hangarter from Indiana University and Masamitsu Wada from Tokyo Metropolitan University — were retired.
—Quanta Magazine, 4 May 2026
Williams, music group KATSEYE, Ro co-founder and CPO Saman Rahmanian and NFL Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan are among ten rising leaders are named Gold100 New Gold honorees, recognizing the next generation of cultural trailblazers.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 1 May 2026
The film examines the generation who never expected to become senior citizens in the face of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and decades of oppression, who now find themselves trailblazers again as the first openly LGBTQ seniors.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026
Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 26 May 2026
Strikeforce held its first MMA event in 2006, a night that was echoed in the formula used by MVP this month, leaning on former UFC legends and trailblazers Ken Shamrock and Cesar Gracie.
—Mark Puleo, New York Times, 21 May 2026
For decades, late-night TV has introduced trailblazers trying to break, or reinvent, the staid routine of stand-up monologues and celebrity chitchat.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 15 May 2026
As part of the pregame ceremonies, the team will unveil a permanent display to honor former players and LGBTQ trailblazers Billy Bean and Glenn Burke.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 12 May 2026
This past weekend, however, that same style buzz was injected into one of Santa Fe’s slower months—bringing together a unique crowd of Indigenous trailblazers and innovators that instantly livened up the city.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 11 May 2026
Two trailblazers — Roger Hangarter from Indiana University and Masamitsu Wada from Tokyo Metropolitan University — were retired.
—Quanta Magazine, 4 May 2026
Williams, music group KATSEYE, Ro co-founder and CPO Saman Rahmanian and NFL Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan are among ten rising leaders are named Gold100 New Gold honorees, recognizing the next generation of cultural trailblazers.
—Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 1 May 2026
The film examines the generation who never expected to become senior citizens in the face of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and decades of oppression, who now find themselves trailblazers again as the first openly LGBTQ seniors.
—Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 29 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trailblazers
Noun
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Stark Future is considered one of the pioneers in this segment with its Varg motocross and Varg EX enduro models.—
Utkarsh Sood
June 03,
New Atlas,
3 June 2026
-
Even the pioneers of the city’s experimental-dance scene in the sixties and seventies, so open-minded and self-aware in some respects, mostly forgot to think about race.—
Marina Harss,
New Yorker,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
Savannah was under British occupation in the fall of 1779, when colonists planned an attack to retake the city with help from French allies.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
4 June 2026
-
When other nearby ports were under British control during the Revolutionary War, the colonists were able to use Washington for resupply efforts.—
Caroline Eubanks,
Travel + Leisure,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Maritime explorers like Ferdinand Magellan and Vasco da Gama.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
And in America’s 19th century western expansion, the largest mountain in the Teton Range was too alluring for explorers to pass up.—
Alia Beard Rau,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Elk were once an abundant source of food in the Alleghenies, both for the Seneca and for the settlers streaming in.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
Rights groups say Bedouin herding communities are especially vulnerable as settlers seize remote land and outposts multiply, while new Israeli laws tighten control over Palestinians and critics fault global powers for inaction.—
Julia Frankel,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trailblazers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trailblazers. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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