as in settler
a person who settles in a new region
the hardships that the pioneers endured while taming the wilderness
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in first
coming before all others in time or order
the nation's pioneer institution for the education of African-Americans
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to establish
to be responsible for the creation and early operation or use of
he single-handedly pioneered the university's institute for medical research
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pioneer
Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 29 May 2026
The pizza joint tied with Sei, Tony’s in San Francisco, has long been ambitious as one of the American pioneers of the rising art of the pizza tasting menu.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 28 May 2026
Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2024
Christopher Marquis, Time, 30 May 2026
This tops off a banner year for the Silicon Valley semiconductor company, which creates pioneering connectivity solutions, primarily for AI data centers.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pioneer
Noun
Now Pennsylvania Hospital, older than the nation itself and a part of the University of Pennsylvania's health system, has opened a museum looking back at its history as a pioneer in surgery, education and innovation.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 29 May 2026
The pizza joint tied with Sei, Tony’s in San Francisco, has long been ambitious as one of the American pioneers of the rising art of the pizza tasting menu.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 28 May 2026
Adjective
In tandem with the modernist movement of the 20th century was the Danish concept of functionalism; a design philosophy of form follows function, which was introduced by pioneer Danish architects like Poul Henningsen and Vilhelm Lauritzen.
—Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
In practice, the system of mass production pioneered by Henry Ford made work more fragmented, monotonous, and physically and psychologically demanding.
—Christopher Marquis, Time, 30 May 2026
This tops off a banner year for the Silicon Valley semiconductor company, which creates pioneering connectivity solutions, primarily for AI data centers.
—Diane Brady, Fortune, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pioneer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pioneer
Noun
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Many of these settlers’ descendants still live in Fredericksburg.—
Natassia Paloma,
USA Today,
2 June 2026
-
One story states that Julius Mackie Washington Masingill, an early settler, then suggested naming the office after the hickory trees that grew in abundance in the area.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
30 May 2026
Adjective
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After a night that featured 38 foul calls and a gritty Connecticut team determined to make a statement in Atlanta, the Dream clinched a 91-74 win over the Sun in a back-and-forth matchup that started rough but ended on a high note in their first Commissioner’s Cup game.—
Micahya Costen,
AJC.com,
3 June 2026
-
Haaland could make history as the first female Native American governor if she’s elected.—
Erin Cox,
Washington Post,
3 June 2026
Verb
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The company's Pegasus rover is designed as part of a broader effort to establish a more permanent human presence on the moon.—
Karen Morfitt,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
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The duo established themselves as fixtures of the tabloid era known for staging paparazzi photos, fueling feuds and embracing the attention that came with being reality television’s most famous pair.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
Noun
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Honey hunting became a popular pastime, as colonists tracked down wild colonies to harvest wax and honey like their ancestors back in Europe.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 May 2026
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An agreement adopted by the First Continental Congress and signed by all 53 delegates that urged colonists to boycott British goods.—
Justin Adams,
CBS News,
26 May 2026
Adjective
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Participants underwent an initial baseline assessment and were assigned individualized vagus nerve stimulation protocols designed by Pulsetto’s clinical team.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2026
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Trump’s initial director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, resigned last month, citing her husband’s recent cancer diagnosis.—
Josh Boak,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Verb
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The backstory The property opened in March 2015 as the first hotel of the 1 Hotels brand founded by Barry Sternlight, and resides in the former Gansevoort Hotel.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
The Tea Party, that movement of grass-roots right-wing anger that evolved into MAGA, was founded the same year.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
Adjective
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Silverman, who leads one of the world’s foremost corporate investigations and risk advisory firms, calls that a category error.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
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Karen Martin, a professor of biology at Pepperdine University and foremost expert on the creatures, will be in attendance, as will retired State Parks ranger Jim Serpa, who ran the program for three decades and helped resurrect it a few years ago.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
1 June 2026
Verb
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These, in turn, initiated the polymerization of acrylamide and acrylic acid to form the hydrogel.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
3 June 2026
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Allegheny County police said their detectives are initiating the investigation.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pioneer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pioneer. Accessed 8 Jun. 2026.
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