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
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
The vinyl boom started in the late 2000s as a more niche trend among audiofiles and indieheads, with alt-rock figures like Jack White serving as early trailblazers evangelizing the format.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
Entrepreneurs come in many types, and a significant percentage of trailblazers are women.
—Metro Creative Services, Boston Herald, 15 Mar. 2026
The Thorns are trailblazers in American and global women’s soccer.
—Theo Lloyd-Hughes, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Both the film’s protagonist and the filmmaking behind The French Connection were trailblazers in their own way.
—Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2026
She was drawn by the burgeoning independent living community, led by trailblazers like Ed Roberts and Judy Heumann, who years prior had started pushing for more rights and resources.
—Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2026
There are so many trailblazers who have come before me, paving the way and cracking glass ceilings that once felt unbreakable.
—Brittany Pettersen, Denver Post, 27 Feb. 2026
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
The vinyl boom started in the late 2000s as a more niche trend among audiofiles and indieheads, with alt-rock figures like Jack White serving as early trailblazers evangelizing the format.
—Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
Entrepreneurs come in many types, and a significant percentage of trailblazers are women.
—Metro Creative Services, Boston Herald, 15 Mar. 2026
The Thorns are trailblazers in American and global women’s soccer.
—Theo Lloyd-Hughes, New York Times, 4 Mar. 2026
Both the film’s protagonist and the filmmaking behind The French Connection were trailblazers in their own way.
—Paul Fitzgerald, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2026
She was drawn by the burgeoning independent living community, led by trailblazers like Ed Roberts and Judy Heumann, who years prior had started pushing for more rights and resources.
—Mercury News, 28 Feb. 2026
There are so many trailblazers who have come before me, paving the way and cracking glass ceilings that once felt unbreakable.
—Brittany Pettersen, Denver Post, 27 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trailblazers
Noun
-
The two other 2026 inductees are the Stanley Brothers, bluegrass pioneers who will be honored in the Veteran Era Artist category, and Paul Overstreet, who will be inducted in the Songwriter category.—
Joseph Hudak,
Rolling Stone,
20 Mar. 2026
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Country music hitmaker Tim McGraw, bluegrass pioneers The Stanley Brothers and songwriter Paul Overstreet have been named as the inductees for the Country Music Hall of Fame‘s Class of 2026.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The colonists awoke from their dream of lucrative plantations to find churches in ashes and molasses cauldrons rusting in the grass.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Mar. 2026
-
The Quebec Act, which protected Catholicism in neighboring Quebec, was seen by some colonists as a threat and is reflected in grievances in the Declaration of Independence.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Photos and video show the explorers squeezing through jagged crevices deep inside the karsts, using flashlights to guide them further along an otherwise pitch-black maze of rocky burrows.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
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What makes Matera particularly compelling for active explorers is the way the city itself demands physical engagement.—
Lauren Schuster,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
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But Union troops in Colorado were also responsible for forcing Indigenous people from their homes as white settlers moved into the state.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Bakri is more brittle in Farah Nabulsi’s The Teacher as Basem, a Palestinian teacher in the West Bank whose support for insurgents grows after his own son dies in prison and as Israeli settlers brutalize his neighborhood.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trailblazers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trailblazers. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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