TRAILBLAZERS Synonyms: 29 Similar and Opposite Words

trailblazers

noun

plural of trailblazer

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.

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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."

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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 The trailblazers clear the smaller brush, step around the largest trees, squeeze between rocks and weave around whatever cannot easily be moved. — Kevin Brady, Forbes.com, 22 Sep. 2026 Upon its inception, the neighboring Théâtre des Champs-Élysées brought composers, theatergoers, and fashion trailblazers to regularly dine at the property. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Sep. 2026 United were trailblazers at that time, going into European competition against the wishes of the English Football League, which felt doing so would damage the integrity of English football. — Andy Mitten, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026 The greatest trailblazers of all are oblivious to any slings and arrows. — Daniel D'addario, Variety, 10 Sep. 2026 Ripa’s description similarly characterized Aries travelers as energetic trailblazers who are always ready for the next adventure, sometimes before the current one has even ended. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 25 Aug. 2026 Over the years, some players have chosen to make this rapport vaguely, hilariously antagonistic, and while players like James Acaster may have been the trailblazers in this respect, Sophie Duker elevated it to an art form. — Matthew Jackson, Vulture, 12 June 2026 And Knight joins a team headed by one of women’s hockey’s trailblazers in GM Manon Rheaume. — John Wawrow, Chicago Tribune, 9 June 2026 Continuing the support of Franco-American collaborations were high-end retailers like Neiman Marcus in Dallas, which, having already embraced the couture, continued to showcase trailblazers in French fashion like Cristóbal Balenciaga and Hubert de Givenchy, amongst others. — Tonya Blazio-Licorish, Footwear News, 26 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for trailblazers

Noun

But beyond icon status, Moncler praises its three leading ladies as pioneers.

— Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2026
Reps from pioneers such as ReelShort were in town pressing the flesh, while a global microdrama leaders’ summit brought together the likes of COL Group, Roseberry, RJ RisingJoy and NetShort.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of pioneers

Noun

The original model for the kind of adversarial speech the First Amendment aims to protect, McGrane said, was the speech American colonists used against the British.

— Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 15 Oct. 2026
The animals reached Spain during the Roman Empire and were later brought to what is now Mexico by Spanish colonists in the 1500s.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of colonists

Noun

Rubio’s idea of the West is both messier and simpler, populated by muscular explorers and conquerors, from Alexander the Great and the Frankish king Charlemagne to the conquistador Hernán Cortés and the frontiersmen of the American West.

— Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2026
When a pair of urban explorers venture into an underground facility associated with sinister audio experiments, the segment’s vlogging setup gets caught between its familiar visual format and the installment’s overarching musical theme.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of explorers

Noun

Marschall’s initial assessment was that the tree’s life probably began before European settlers arrived in the region, at a time when the mountain was populated by autonomous Indigenous nations that later became part of the Creek Confederacy.

— M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
For decades, Jewish settlers put up fences to protect themselves from the active threat of Palestinian terrorism.

— Lesley Stahl, CBS News, 11 Oct. 2026

Definition of settlers

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

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Synonyms of trailblazers

noun

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