1
a
: forehead
also
: the whole face
b
: external and often feigned appearance especially in the face of danger or adversity
2
3
: a side of a building
especially
: the side that contains the principal entrance
4
a
: the forward part or surface
b(1)
: frontage
(2)
: a beach promenade at a seaside resort
c
d
: the boundary between two dissimilar air masses
5
archaic
: beginning
6
a(1)
: a position ahead of a person or of the foremost part of a thing
(2)
—used as a call by a hotel desk clerk in summoning a bellhop
b
: a position of leadership or superiority
7
a
: a person, group, or thing used to mask the identity or true character or activity of the actual controlling agent
b
: a person who serves as the nominal head or spokesman of an enterprise or group to lend it prestige
fronted; fronting; fronts
1
: to have the front or principal side adjacent to something
2
a
: to act or serve as a cover or front (see front entry 1 sense 7a) for something or someone
… a new initiative targeting brothels and massage parlors fronting for sex trafficking rings.—
St. John Barned-Smith
St. John Barned-Smith
b
US, informal
: to assume a fake or false personality to conceal one's true identity and character
Don't front, don't put something out there that you feel isn't realistic and doesn't portray who you are.—Chloë Grace Moretz
Chloë Grace MoretzLook, we all know you got your heart broken. Stop fronting and write a love song.—Allison Keyes
Allison Keyes1
a
: confront
went to the woods because I wished … to front only the essential facts of life—H. D. Thoreau
H. D. Thoreau
b
: to appear before
daily fronted him in some fresh splendor—Alfred Tennyson
Alfred Tennyson2
a
: to be in front of
a lawn fronting the house
b
: to be the leader of (a musical group)
appeared as a soloist and fronted bands
3
: to face toward or have frontage on
the house fronts the street
4
: to supply a front to
fronted the building with bricks
5
a
: to articulate (a sound) with the tongue farther forward
b
: to move (a word or phrase) to the beginning of a sentence
6
basketball
: to play in front of (an opposing player) rather than between the player and the basket
7
: to give (someone) the money, material, etc. needed to do something : advance sense 7
She fronted them a loan to get the start-up going.
1
a
: of, relating to, or situated at the front
b
: acting as a front
front company
2
: articulated at or toward the front of the oral passage
front vowels
3
: constituting the first nine holes of an 18-hole golf course
front
adverb
Synonyms
Examples of front in a Sentence
Noun
the front of the church features a magnificent stained-glass window
that smile is just a front—I don't think she actually likes me at all
Verb
The house fronts Main Street.
The house fronts on Main Street.
He is now fronting a different band.
He fronts a talk show.
Adjective
There's a small statue on the front lawn.
He keeps his wallet in his front pocket.
Recent Examples on the WebBrooke Seipel, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2024
Standing in front of more than 80,000 faces, Eric Church took a moment to absorb the spectacle at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday evening.
—Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2024
Henry Flynn, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Jerry O’Connell fronts that version, which is from Fox First Run, Bill’s Market & Television Productions, and Mattel Television Studios.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2024
Matthew MacConnell, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
It was described as a black or dark-colored 2001-2004 Volvo S-60 with no front license plate and an unknown rear plate.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for front 
Noun
Russia has been conducting a ferocious summer campaign along the eastern front in Ukraine, gradually compelling Kyiv to surrender ground.
—Brooke Seipel, Fortune, 27 Oct. 2024
Standing in front of more than 80,000 faces, Eric Church took a moment to absorb the spectacle at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday evening.
—Garret K. Woodward, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2024
Verb
It’s assembled some great sides, fronted by iconic strikers such as Fernando Torres, Sergio Agüero, Diego Forlán, and Diego Costa.
—Henry Flynn, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Jerry O’Connell fronts that version, which is from Fox First Run, Bill’s Market & Television Productions, and Mattel Television Studios.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2024
Adjective
There's storage under the center console, a net positioned between the front seats and there's bins big enough for a mobile phone on both doors although these can be hard to spot at first.
—Matthew MacConnell, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
It was described as a black or dark-colored 2001-2004 Volvo S-60 with no front license plate and an unknown rear plate.
—James Powel, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for front
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'front.' 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 front
Cite this Entry
“Front.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/front. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
front
1 of 3 noun1
: outer often pretended appearance
put up a good front
2
: a region in which active warfare is taking place
3
: the forward part or surface
the front of a shirt
the front of the house
4
: the boundary between two dissimilar air masses
5
: someone or something that hides the true identity of those who are in control
a front for organized crime
front
2 of 3 verb
: to have the front or face toward
the cottage fronting on the lake
the house fronts the street
front
3 of 3 adjective
: of, relating to, or situated at the front
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