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spearhead

American  
[speer-hed] / ˈspɪərˌhɛd /

noun

  1. the sharp-pointed head that forms the piercing end of a spear.

  2. any person, contingent, or force that leads an attack, undertaking, etc..

    Cuba was the spearhead of the independence movement within Latin America.

verb (used with object)

  1. to lead or initiate (an undertaking).

    She is spearheading an ambitious research project whose results may be used by NASA.
    Synonyms:
    pioneer, initiate, start, lead
spearhead British  
/ ˈspɪəˌhɛd /

noun

  1. the pointed head of a spear

  2. the leading force in a military attack

  3. any person or thing that leads or initiates 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

verb

  1. (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

Etymology

Origin of spearhead

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; 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.

He spearheaded the concept of “secondary sanctions” to penalize even non-U.S. firms for doing business with the regime, angering Europe.

From The Wall Street Journal

“It’s an incredibly complex project,” said Alicia Glen, who helped spearhead the project under Mayor Bill de Blasio and now runs her own development firm.

From The Wall Street Journal

Larkham has named an unchanged line-up spearheaded by veteran James Slipper for a third straight week to face the Auckland Blues at home on Saturday and said there would be no complacency.

From Barron's

The Catholic church, which has spearheaded a campaign demanding justice for all victims of the brutal bombings, welcomed the arrest as a sign the investigation was continuing.

From Barron's

Rodriguez, as minister of economy at the time, spearheaded the effort.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.