spearhead

[speer-hed]

See more synonyms for spearhead on Thesaurus.com

noun

the sharp-pointed head that forms the piercing end of a spear.
any person, contingent, or force that leads an attack, undertaking, etc.

verb (used with object)

to act as a spearhead for: She spearheaded the drive for new members.

Origin of spearhead

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at spear¹, head

Synonyms for spearhead

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3. lead, start, initiate, pioneer.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for spearheaded

initiate, prompt, spur, launch, move, shepherd, head, motivate, bring, produce, originate, influence, direct, introduce, pioneer, persuade, helm, cause, guide, quarterback

Examples from the Web for spearheaded

Contemporary Examples of spearheaded

For the RNC, Uber is just one company that represents the decline of free-market capitalism, spearheaded by the Democratic Party.
Uber Is the RNC's Favorite App
Gideon Resnick
August 6, 2014
For Obama's re-election campaign, Wintour spearheaded successful soirees in New York, Paris, and England.
Anna Wintour Hosts DNC Fundraiser; Kimye Heads Back to 'Vogue'
The Fashion Beast Team
May 20, 2014
The movement was spearheaded by longtime MillerCoors shop floor technician Kelly Harris, who works at the Trenton, Ohio, brewery.
Nation’s Largest Brewery Goes Landfill-Free
CNBC
July 1, 2013
Suzanne was rumored to have spearheaded efforts to see her son Gamal become the next president of Egypt, as many feared.
Egypt’s Ultraconservative First Lady Naglaa Ali
Vivian Salama
June 27, 2012
This means that projects you spearheaded, amid pooh-poohing, are now being valued by people who wish to profit from them.
The Stars Predict Your Week
Starsky + Cox
September 24, 2011

British Dictionary definitions for spearheaded

spearhead

noun

the pointed head of a spear
the leading force in a military attack
any person or thing that leads or initiates an attack, a campaign, etc

verb

(tr) to lead or initiate (an attack, a campaign, etc)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for spearheaded

spearhead

c.1400, from spear (n.1) + head (n.). Figurative sense of "leading element" (of an attack, movement, etc.) is attested from 1893; the verb in this sense is recorded from 1938. Related: Spearheaded; spearheading.