vanguard

Words with a similar base: vanguard

'vanguard'

[vanguard.n.01] as in: the leading units moving at the head of an army

'vanguard'

[avant-garde.n.01] as in: any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)

'vanguard'

[vanguard.n.03] as in: the position of greatest importance or advancement; the leading position in any movement or field

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Examples:
the Cotswolds were once at the forefront of woollen manufacturing in England
the idea of motion was always to the forefront of his mind and central to his philosophy