spear·head
ˈspir-ˌhed 
1
: the sharp-pointed head of a spear
2
: a leading element, force, or influence in an undertaking or development
spearheaded; spearheading; spearheads
: to serve as leader or leading element of
Examples of spearhead in a Sentence
Noun
Her book was the spearhead of the clean water movement.
Verb
She spearheaded the campaign for better schools.
The movement was spearheaded by the teachers' union.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 17 June 2024
Still, Sadr’s homage to Saudi Arabia, the spearhead of the anti-Iran front—and his reception by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a man perceived by the Iranians to be on an anti-Iran crusade—led to much speculation in Tehran about the motivations and the significance of the visit.
—Alex Vatanka, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2017
Sharon Coolidge, The Enquirer, 10 July 2024
Rocha-Miller: Chandler's commitment to spearheading a regional effort in the East Valley to combat teen violence prompted by the ‘Goons’ attacks is commendable and necessary.
—Sam Kmack, The Arizona Republic, 9 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for spearhead 
Noun
For example, Neandertals produced multifaceted spearheads by breaking several flakes off of a stone core.
—Jack Tamisiea, Scientific American, 17 June 2024
Still, Sadr’s homage to Saudi Arabia, the spearhead of the anti-Iran front—and his reception by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a man perceived by the Iranians to be on an anti-Iran crusade—led to much speculation in Tehran about the motivations and the significance of the visit.
—Alex Vatanka, Foreign Affairs, 14 Aug. 2017
Verb
Cincinnati Experience, an organization dedicated to creating positive perceptions of Cincinnati, spearheaded the project to bring cohesivity to Cincinnati's branding efforts.
—Sharon Coolidge, The Enquirer, 10 July 2024
Rocha-Miller: Chandler's commitment to spearheading a regional effort in the East Valley to combat teen violence prompted by the ‘Goons’ attacks is commendable and necessary.
—Sam Kmack, The Arizona Republic, 9 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for spearhead
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'spearhead.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near spearhead
Cite this Entry
“Spearhead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/spearhead. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
spearhead
1 of 2 noun
spear·head
-ˌhed
1
: the head or point of a spear
2
: a person, thing, or group that is the leading force (as in a development or attack)
spearhead
2 of 2 verb
: to serve as leader of
spearhead a campaign for better schools
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