pioneers

NOUN

person who finds a new place, founds something

Synonyms

STRONG

colonist colonizer developer explorer founder guide homesteader immigrant innovator leader pathfinder pilgrim scout settler squatter trailblazer

WEAK

frontier settler

VERB

invent; lay the groundwork

Synonyms

STRONG

begin colonize create develop discover establish explore found initiate instigate institute launch originate prepare spearhead start

WEAK

go out in front map out open up show the way take the lead trailblaze

Antonyms

STRONG

cease complete conclude destroy die end finish halt ignore neglect prevent ruin stop terminate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"For people that look like us, it's taken a while to get to this point, and you're one of the pioneers of that," Richards says.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

Sadelain is widely recognized as one of the pioneers of CAR T-cell therapy and has played a key role in its development and clinical use.

From Science Daily • Jun. 2, 2026

The tool, still limited to a select group of customers, arrives roughly a year and a half behind pioneers such as OpenAI and Google.

From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026

That is no big surprise, considering that California’s Silicon Valley firms including Meta Platforms have been pioneers in laying off people in the belief that AI can replace them.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

It’s one of the original cabins of the Westward Movement and, like the Iroquois Indians, the pioneers put furs down for floors, not boards.

From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George