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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pioneer
Rachel Desantis, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
His grandparents, Bessie and Boris Thomashefsky, were pioneers in American Yiddish theater.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 2026
Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2024
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
His many credits include performances with the New York Philharmonic, pioneering minimalist composer Philip Glass, genre-blurring singer Cecile McLorin Salvant, drum dynamo Tyshawn Sorey and such past and present jazz sax powerhouses as Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath and Branford Marsalis.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pioneer
Noun
The musician was born in Los Angeles and was a third-generation creative; his grandparents Boris and Bessie Thomashefsky were pioneers of Yiddish theater, while his dad Ted Thomas was a producer at the Mercury Theater Company in New York.
—Rachel Desantis, PEOPLE, 23 Apr. 2026
His grandparents, Bessie and Boris Thomashefsky, were pioneers in American Yiddish theater.
—ABC News, 23 Apr. 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
Reaching back into Hilton’s pioneering history, Nassetta says its expansion plans will one day take it back to three countries that previous moments of geopolitical turmoil forced it to leave.
—Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 24 Apr. 2026
His many credits include performances with the New York Philharmonic, pioneering minimalist composer Philip Glass, genre-blurring singer Cecile McLorin Salvant, drum dynamo Tyshawn Sorey and such past and present jazz sax powerhouses as Benny Golson, Jimmy Heath and Branford Marsalis.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pioneer
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pioneer
Noun
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On March 30, soldiers from the battalion detained a CNN team covering settler violence in the village of Tayasir in the West Bank.—
Oren Liebermann,
CNN Money,
28 Apr. 2026
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Local history is also reflected in the design, with a Navy pilot (representing the former Naval Air Station Glenview); a member of the Kennicott family, the early settlers of The Grove; the Glenview Farmer’s Market; and a child riding in the 4th of July bike parade featured.—
Jennifer Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Romo’s home runs were the first of the season by a Sox catcher.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
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And while this is the king's first visit to his son's new home country since the rift, the four-day work trip isn't a personal one.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The idea was then taken up by other Scottish scholars, including James Frazer, whose widely read compendium The Golden Bough (1890) attempted to establish cross-cultural parallels in mythology.—
Glenn Adamson,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
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Located right alongside its Sunset Strip neighbor Book Soup, Mystery Pier was established by character actor Harvey Jason and his son Louis, who continue to run the store together.—
Marc Weingarten,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Noun
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In the centuries since colonists waged war against the crown, American’s attitudes toward the royals have shifted from hatred to adoration.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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The Courant has reported, most colonists were not exactly mesmerized by the notion of severing ties with the mother country.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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More advanced detailing came a year after the launch of the Air Max 1000 on the Air Max 95000, as Project Nectar tech allows for the application of additional elements after the initial print run.—
Ian Servantes,
Footwear News,
30 Apr. 2026
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Kuchler said the group’s initial meetings would be educational and involve reviewing plans, going over the village’s Comprehensive Plan, and looking at results from communities with similar plans.—
Hank Beckman,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Carter also co-founded a non-profit in his community called The Local Voice, which aided women fighting breast cancer.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
27 Apr. 2026
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The story of the site, which was subsequently bought by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp in 2005, is told in MySpace, a documentary directed by Tommy Avallone and produced by Gunpowder & Sky, the company founded by former MTV boss Van Toffler.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Dhawan is considered one of India’s foremost filmmakers in the comedy genre.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
29 Apr. 2026
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One of the nation's foremost civic reenactment organizations and historical societies, the Lexington Minute Men represent the original colonial militia who fought in the first battle of the American Revolution.—
Eric Fisher,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The magnet induces the magnetic flux change needed to initiate the plasma and maintain the plasma current during the burn time.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
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Don’t try any physical contact, including a handshake, unless the royal initiates it.—
Veronica Bravo,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pioneer.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pioneer. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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