1
as in grandfather
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent
Bridie's Irish ancestors immigrated to the United States in the 19th century during the Great Potato Famine
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in forerunner
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
pinball machines—the ancestors of today's video games—go back to the 19th century
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of ancestor
Because of this, many scientists believed that early and classic Neanderthals had a lower genetic diversity than their pre-Neanderthal ancestors.
—
Discover Magazine, 21 Feb. 2025
Rashid refers to their ancestors, wolves, who had little need to navigate heights, and so because of a lack of pressure to adapt, dogs may now feel uncomfortable.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 18 Feb. 2025
Her ancestors go back to a place called Gorakhpur in northern India.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 12 Feb. 2025
However, many oral histories passed down in indigenous groups in Canada and the U.S. have contradicted this idea, suggesting that smaller groups made the journey over different periods of time and their ancestors told the tales of a great crossing, VOA News reports.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Discover Magazine, 21 Feb. 2025
Rashid refers to their ancestors, wolves, who had little need to navigate heights, and so because of a lack of pressure to adapt, dogs may now feel uncomfortable.
—Matt Robison, Newsweek, 18 Feb. 2025
Her ancestors go back to a place called Gorakhpur in northern India.
—Destiny Jackson, Deadline, 12 Feb. 2025
However, many oral histories passed down in indigenous groups in Canada and the U.S. have contradicted this idea, suggesting that smaller groups made the journey over different periods of time and their ancestors told the tales of a great crossing, VOA News reports.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor
Noun
-
Journalism is part of my heritage: My great great grandfather was a Civil War correspondent for the Chicago Tribune.—
Laura Begley Bloom,
Forbes,
1 Mar. 2025
-
Brown, whose father and grandfather were both combat veterans, has held multiple combat commands and logged 130 combat hours as a fighter pilot.—
Orlando Sentinel and South Florida Sun Sentinel Editorial Boards,
Orlando Sentinel,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Equally, it was never considered by bid organizers to be a forerunner in bids to host the 2022 and 2026 men’s World Cup, the latter of which was successful and will be shared next year with Canada and Mexico.—
Adam Crafton,
The Athletic,
6 Feb. 2025
-
While Cal State Fullerton isn’t the first campus to launch a Project Rebound program, the university has been among the forerunners in its expansion, becoming a model for Project Rebound programs at the other universities in the CSU system.—
Lou Ponsi,
Orange County Register,
28 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
Although years have passed since Belle's lies were exposed, Nick — now a father of two — still feels unsettled by his sister's actions, and wants to keep his children away from her.—
Jordana Comiter,
People.com,
26 Feb. 2025
-
There are implications that the two central fathers of the piece have clashed before, though the more jarring examples of tangential threads concern a performing troupe with whom Tornado has a pre-existing relationship.—
Josh Slater-Williams,
IndieWire,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Planned a year in advance, essentially right after the previous Oscars ceremony has wrapped, the glamorous precursor to Hollywood’s biggest night comes together thanks to a production team filled with hard-working, movie-loving craftspeople.—
Sharareh Drury,
People.com,
1 Mar. 2025
-
Will trusting those precursors blow up in my face again?—
Glenn Whipp,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
In 1971, for example, the commission's predecessor issued a license to General Electric Company to store nuclear waste at a standalone facility.—
Melissa Quinn,
CBS News,
4 Mar. 2025
-
By comparison, Trump's recent predecessors each issued more appeals for congressional action.—
Geoffrey Skelley,
ABC News,
3 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Several trials later, her first bioplastic prototypes were born.—
Carly Kay,
The Mercury News,
24 Feb. 2025
-
But things changed after Kate Moss was seen with a rare prototype, and Le Dix Motorcycle Lariat, eventually known as Le City bag, came out in 2001.—
Kin Woo,
New York Times,
20 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 8 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share