as in founder
a person who establishes a whole new field of endeavor
as the initiator of printing from movable type, Gutenberg revolutionized people's access to written language
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Recent Examples of initiator
Ausar Thompson is the Pistons’ second-most effective offensive initiator after Cunningham.
—
Jared Weiss, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Peterson is breathtakingly talented as a scorer and on-ball initiator, but health concerns have marred an otherwise impressive freshman season.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
History suggests that wars aimed at reshaping political systems hardly ever unfold as their initiators intend.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
And when Aaron's healthier, that's an initiator of our offense as well.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
PiqlFilm is also the initiator of the Arctic World Archive (AWA), a repository for world memory located in Northern Norway on the Arctic Ocean.
—Thomas Coughlin, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
The mega-stars and Göteborg natives Alicia Vikander and Ruben Östlund are major supporters of the festival – Alicia as initiator of the Alicia Vikander Film Lab which supports next gen filmmakers in Góteborg and Ruben as Honorary President.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
As the initiator, the numerology of 2026 is asking us to take a starring role in our lives.
—Christina Pérez, Vogue, 29 Nov. 2025
His focus was less on scoring and more on orchestrating plays, acting as the primary initiator of the Spurs’ offense.
—Evan Dammarell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Jared Weiss, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
Peterson is breathtakingly talented as a scorer and on-ball initiator, but health concerns have marred an otherwise impressive freshman season.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026
History suggests that wars aimed at reshaping political systems hardly ever unfold as their initiators intend.
—Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 6 Mar. 2026
And when Aaron's healthier, that's an initiator of our offense as well.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 11 Feb. 2026
PiqlFilm is also the initiator of the Arctic World Archive (AWA), a repository for world memory located in Northern Norway on the Arctic Ocean.
—Thomas Coughlin, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
The mega-stars and Göteborg natives Alicia Vikander and Ruben Östlund are major supporters of the festival – Alicia as initiator of the Alicia Vikander Film Lab which supports next gen filmmakers in Góteborg and Ruben as Honorary President.
—Annika Pham, Variety, 16 Jan. 2026
As the initiator, the numerology of 2026 is asking us to take a starring role in our lives.
—Christina Pérez, Vogue, 29 Nov. 2025
His focus was less on scoring and more on orchestrating plays, acting as the primary initiator of the Spurs’ offense.
—Evan Dammarell, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for initiator
Noun
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One of the first to mourn Browne’s passing was Craig Hella Johnson, founder and artistic director of Conspirare, the Grammy-winning professional choral ensemble.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Louis Ducret, founder of the digital insurance platform Eprezto, said the best way forward is full transparency.—
Christopher Elliott,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
His efficiency from three-point range this season, combined with his willingness to take open looks, adds spacing around Jalen Brunson and the Knicks’ primary creators.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Several content creators who focus on pop culture analysis condemned the display of domestic violence.—
Angela Yang,
NBC news,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Originally, the guillotine was called the louisette, after its inventor, the surgeon Antoine Louis.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The grandson of the inventor of the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, who has publicly criticized The Hershey Company for tinkering with the classic formula in its spinoff products, appears to have gotten some sweet revenge.—
Corky Siemaszko,
NBC news,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The author argues that sheriffs should not have independent authority over ballots and election procedures, and calls for the state legislature to clarify sheriff powers by amending the constitution to make sheriffs appointed rather than elected, similar to police chiefs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.—
Rabba Sara Hurwitz,
Sun Sentinel,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Mohamad Faisal, one of Shah Alam's children, previously told Reuters that his father's arrest about a year ago was due to a misunderstanding with police officers.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Her father was seated on a chair with one foot tucked under him, and her mother was sitting on the sofa with both feet curled under her.—
Jacobina Martin,
Washington Post,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Initiator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/initiator. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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