spearhead
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
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the pointed head of a spear
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the leading force in a military attack
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any person or thing that leads or initiates an attack, a campaign, etc
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
spearheadsimple
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spearheadssimple
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have spearheadedperfect
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has spearheadedperfect
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am spearheadingprogressive
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are spearheadingprogressive
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is spearheadingprogressive
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have been spearheadingperfect progressive
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has been spearheadingperfect progressive
Past
-
spearheadedsimple
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had spearheadedperfect
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was spearheadingprogressive
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were spearheadingprogressive
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had been spearheadingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of spearhead
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; see origin at spear 1, head
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.
See Examples For:
Mookie Betts stayed hot with his bases-loaded, two-run single off Padres starter Michael King to spearhead a three-run rally in the fifth.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 28, 2026
Because of this, Bidarian says Rousey is the perfect person to spearhead MVP's debut in the MMA market.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
The UN secretary general created the task force in March to spearhead a mechanism to allow fertilisers and related raw materials such as ammonia, sulphur and urea through the strait.
From Barron's ● May 11, 2026
Under Ternus, Apple could spearhead the next form factor for the AI era, Forrester analyst Dipanjan Chatterjee wrote in a Monday note.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 20, 2026
This first group of MK soldiers was christened the Luthuli Detachment and they were the spearhead of the armed struggle.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
“Referendums are very unpredictable,” worries Thomas A. Lukaszuk, an Alberta politician who spearheads a counter campaign called Forever Canadian.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 14, 2026
Injured pace spearheads Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins bowled in the nets on Tuesday in a major boost for Australia ahead of the day-night second Ashes Test against England next week.
From Barron's ● Nov. 25, 2025
They discovered that the oldest known archaeological remains in North America — stone spearheads known as Clovis points — dated to the end of the ice age, suggesting that their arrival coincided with the extinctions.
From New York Times ● Dec. 4, 2024
A brilliant chip-in eagle at the 18th means that DeChambeau spearheads the LIV Golf challenge heading into Sunday.
From BBC ● May 18, 2024
He gives amazing speeches, writes fantastic op-eds and now newspaper features, spearheads community warmth drives...and he dates a manipulative ditz.
From "The Running Dream" by Wendelin Van Draanen
A savvy political consultant, Reilly spearheaded early winning campaigns for some of the most recognizable names in California politics: former U.S.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Meanwhile, he will have to capitalise on Ukraine's remarkable technological advances and the burgeoning tech defence industry that has spearheaded Ukraine's recent battlefield successes.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Despite being one of the Gulf nations targeted during the war, Qatar has spearheaded efforts to get diplomacy back on track.
From Barron's ● Jul. 11, 2026
Listing activity across Asia more broadly continues to increase, spearheaded by a flurry of technology-centric offerings in Hong Kong.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Sometime early in 1992, he’d been approached by the leaders of a national nonpartisan organization called Project VOTE!, which spearheaded efforts to register new voters in states where minority turnout was traditionally low.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
He began his career in digital marketing and his first roles in government were spearheading online services for citizens, including the country's now‑ubiquitous state services app Diia.
From Barron's ● Jul. 16, 2026
The two will be working on the development of Meow Wolf New York, which is slated to open some time after Los Angeles, and are collaborating on a planned animated series, which Prynoski is spearheading.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 9, 2026
Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner have been spearheading the latest talks.
From Barron's ● Jun. 25, 2026
He scored six goals in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, aided by finally playing regularly in his preferred position behind the striker after years of spearheading the attack or playing out wide.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
Almost overnight the Glorious Loyalty Oath Crusade was in full flower, and Captain Black was enraptured to discover himself spearheading it.
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
