noun
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a leader or pioneer in a particular field
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a person who blazes a trail
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Etymology
Origin of trailblazer
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Explanation
A trailblazer is a person who's the first to do something, whether it's marking a new path through the woods or discovering a cure for cancer. A literal trailblazer blazes, or marks, trails in the wilderness. She does this by making marks or signs on trees and rocks at regular distances along a trail in order to help other hikers find their way. Figurative trailblazers can also be called pioneers or groundbreakers. These are innovators who make strides in fields like science, medicine, or education.
Vocabulary lists containing trailblazer
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocabulary for September 30–October 6, 2023
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"In Defense of a Liberal Education" by Fareed Zakaria
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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 the 27-year-old Freese, whose late father Andrew was a trailblazer in gene therapy, a love of numbers and his skill between the goal posts are far from different pursuits.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 25, 2026
Undoubtedly, Musk’s SpaceX is the trailblazer to which the rest of the industry owes its existence.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
Without that powerful backing, their trailblazer, along with DSA member Rae Huang, withered on their L.A. revolutionary vine.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
UFC fighter Angela Hill has packed plenty into her 41 years, but the veteran trailblazer from the United States is not done yet.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
But Liszt was a trailblazer, an experimenter, a pacesetter.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
