torchbearer

noun

torch·​bear·​er ˈtȯrch-ˌber-ər How to pronounce torchbearer (audio)
1
: one that carries a torch
2
: someone in the forefront of a campaign, crusade, or movement

Examples of torchbearer in a Sentence

He became the torchbearer for civil rights.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But the record still teems with the pair’s sterling indie folk balladry, invoking the likes of torchbearers like Everly Brothers and Roy Orbison. — Aaron Davis, Sacramento Bee, 1 Mar. 2025 Eventually, the Divide would reconcile in 2011 and re-assert themselves as torchbearers for Red Dirt. — Josh Crutchmer, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2024 After sporting an Olympics tracksuit as a torchbearer ahead of the July 26 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, the rapper, 52, continued to turn heads with his custom T-shirts during the global sporting event. — Brian Anthony Hernandez, Peoplemag, 30 July 2024 Last year, about 120 people applied to be one of six torchbearers for Israel’s annual Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day; this year, Yad Vashem received only 75 applicants—a reflection of the dwindling number of survivors. — Larry Luxner, Sun Sentinel, 30 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for torchbearer

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of torchbearer was in the 15th century

Rhymes for torchbearer

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Browse Nearby Words

torch azalea
torchbearer
torch cactus
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Cite this Entry

“Torchbearer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/torchbearer. Accessed 31 Mar. 2025.

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