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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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."
Related Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of trailblazers
For Candice Drakeford, the WNBA’s creative director, the image spots are an opportunity to pay tribute and demonstrate that the league was built on the back of trailblazers like Swoopes.
—
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 7 Apr. 2026
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
Legends, trailblazers and crowd favorites Beyond Lovano, the 2026 lineup reads like a cross-generational jazz hall of fame.
—Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 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
These trailblazers are a fitting mix to represent the state of climate action in 2026.
—Time Staff, Time, 19 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
Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 7 Apr. 2026
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
Legends, trailblazers and crowd favorites Beyond Lovano, the 2026 lineup reads like a cross-generational jazz hall of fame.
—Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 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
These trailblazers are a fitting mix to represent the state of climate action in 2026.
—Time Staff, Time, 19 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trailblazers
Noun
-
Afrika Bambaataa, a man widely considered one of the main pioneers of hip-hop, died Thursday of prostate cancer in Pennsylvania, according to his lawyer.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Afrika Bambaataa, a man widely considered one of the main pioneers of hip-hop, died in Pennsylvania of prostate cancer on Thursday, according to his lawyer.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That exhibit looks at India through the eyes of colonists and corporations.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Paul Revere and other messengers on that night gave the colonists a chance to resist the British troops at the battles of Lexington and Concord.—
William Lambers,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Cooper read the accounts of other explorers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
The fatal shooting is the latest in a surge of increasingly brazen and violent attacks against Palestinians, waged by Israeli settlers and, at times, by soldiers as well.—
Zeena Saifi,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Much of this influence played a role in what would become the dialect of the South more generally as Scots Irish settlers and their descendants spread into the backcountry of the Upper and, a bit later, the Lowland South.—
Valerie Fridland,
Big Think,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Trailblazers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trailblazers. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
