leader

noun

ˈlē-dər How to pronounce leader (audio)
Definition of leadernext
1
as in pioneer
one that takes the lead or sets an example an architectural firm that is widely regarded as a leader in innovative residential design

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in boss
the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do the team leader is good at making sure that everyone keeps busy at their assigned tasks

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in conduit
a long hollow cylinder for carrying a substance (as a liquid or gas) the leader funnels water off of the roof and down into the cistern

Synonyms & Similar 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 leader With the 2026 midterm election a little more than two weeks away, Dallas city leaders are making their biggest push yet to convince the public that the police and fire departments need a number of costly new facilities. — J.d. Miles, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 In battleground states across the country, these faith leaders and hundreds of their colleagues will assume the role of poll chaplains for one day. — ABC News, 20 Oct. 2026 The cult leader worked as a taxi driver in the early 1990s before becoming increasingly focused on religion, Reuters reported. — Latoya Gayle, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2026 That dissatisfaction, driven in large part by the federal government’s energy policies, comes as Canadian leaders are placing particular emphasis on national unity. — Chantelle Lee, Time, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for leader
Recent Examples of Synonyms for leader
  1. pioneer
  2. boss
  3. conduit
  4. pacesetter
  5. foreman
  6. pipe
  7. captain
  8. channel
Noun
  • In a statement sent to The Charlotte Observer, her daughter Hatiya Dunlap said Leeper was a multifaceted broadcasting pioneer whose lasting legacy extends far beyond her on-air work.
    — Chase Jordan October 20, Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Founded in 1986 in Guadalajara, Mexico, Maná is considered a pioneer of rock en español.
    — Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of pioneer
Noun
  • Banijay bosses Jeff Zucker, Marco Bassetti and Jane Turton were in Cannes along with David Decker, the executive handed the Skydance content sales keys by David Ellison.
    — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Durham was later apprehended and served time in prison for the crime, but not before selling the paintings to a notorious crime boss who was later found in possession of the art.
    — Lianne Kolirin, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of boss
Noun
  • Soto became the conduit, Day and Haitian sources said, for receiving the Haitian government’s $15 million partial payment on the contract.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Creators Drop The Pranks And Get Serious MIPCOM was a conduit for the developing creator economy this year, with the focus switching to those YouTube and digital stars who are actually building businesses.
    — Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of conduit
Noun
  • As pacesetter Powershift fell behind down the stretch, Commandment and Golden Tempo burst ahead, running neck-and-neck before Golden Tempo pulled away and crossed the finish line by more than a length.
    — Emily Ohman, New York Times, 6 June 2026
  • Though a genre-fluid affair, the Blue Note fest also features some of the most adventurous pacesetters in modern jazz, among them the flautist Shabaka, the London septet Kokoroko, the trumpeter Chief Adjuah, and the harpist Brandee Younger.
    — Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 22 May 2026
Definition of pacesetter
Noun
  • Rooms in the back of the second and third floors had mahogany window frames that peered into the main space, allowing a foreman to supervise workers.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The Nepal Electricity Authority named the two men who were rescued alive as 30-year-old Sanjay Sah, a mechanical foreman from Saptari district in eastern Nepal, and Kabir Maharjan, 45, a mechanical supervisor from Kathmandu.
    — Bhadra Sharma, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of foreman
Noun
  • According to the arrest affidavit police obtained a search warrant and found a glass jar, aluminum powder, black iron oxide and a pipe that was empty at the time.
    — Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Today, tank farms line both sides of the coastal highway near the port, and a network of pipes moves products among terminals and to ships.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of pipe
Noun
  • The captain thrummed the engine to steady the vessel against the incoming tide.
    — Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The driver was cooperating with officers, said Moses, the police captain.
    — Maggie Vespa, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of captain
Noun
  • Changing the nozzle instead of the color Creality's answer is called KliTek, a four-channel system that takes a slightly different approach.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 17 Oct. 2026
  • Rice most recently oversaw Disney's cable channels, news programming and coverage of major sporting events.
    — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of channel

Browse Nearby Words

leaden
leader
leaders
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Cite this Entry

“Leader.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/leader. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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