variants
also grandaddy
as in ancestor
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
the granddaddy of all English mystery novels
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of granddaddy
For the first time since the Oscars were first televised in 1953, the 2025 edition of the granddaddy of all award shows will stream live on Hulu for all subscribers, in addition to airing live on ABC.
—
Paul Grein, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Also part of this collection is hats, jackets and socks all paying homage to the granddaddy of American guitars.
—Ron Hart, SPIN, 29 Nov. 2024
Blues was considered fusty, old granddaddy music, but a new generation of young Austin artists and fans became enamored with the sound.
—Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Apr. 2024
Barb brings them together to offer what is, essentially, the granddaddy of corporate mergers.
—Jack King, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for granddaddy 
Paul Grein, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019
Also part of this collection is hats, jackets and socks all paying homage to the granddaddy of American guitars.
—Ron Hart, SPIN, 29 Nov. 2024
Blues was considered fusty, old granddaddy music, but a new generation of young Austin artists and fans became enamored with the sound.
—Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Apr. 2024
Barb brings them together to offer what is, essentially, the granddaddy of corporate mergers.
—Jack King, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for granddaddy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for granddaddy
Noun
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Franklin’s immediate ancestors grew up in a world where the fear of witchcraft led to tragic consequences.—
Michael Sheldrick,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
-
An Africa that would leave our ancestors speechless, unable to comprehend the magnitude of our joy and freedom.—
Laurel Dalrymple,
NPR,
18 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Punk and Emo, the forerunners of today’s worm-mollusks, lived on the dark seafloor amid gardens of sponges, nearly 200 million years before the first dinosaurs emerged on land.—
Kate Golembiewski,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2025
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The company's North American forerunner, Chrysler, has been left for dead repeatedly over the decades, only to emerge with hit products like minivans in the 1980s and the Dodge Ram pickup in the 1990s.—
Joel Mathis,
theweek,
17 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Scholz’s predecessor, Angela Merkel, often went head-to-head with Trump and reportedly believed that the U.S. president specifically had it out for Germany during his first term.—
Caitlin McFall,
Fox News,
26 Jan. 2025
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And ‘dust on boots’ fails even to distinguish this nominee from multiple predecessors of the last decade.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
26 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Granddaddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/granddaddy. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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