1
as in vanguard
the innovators of new concepts, styles, and techniques especially in the arts
an artist who was in the van of abstract expressionism
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2
as in forefront
the leading or most important part of a movement
a company that is considered by some to be in the van of the latest technology for renewable energy
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of van
Authorities launched a search for Cesar M. Hernandez Monday morning after the murder convict escaped from a prison van.
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Brian Day, USA TODAY, 4 Dec. 2024
To meet the current goal, 28% of new cars and 16% of new vans sold in 2025 must be zero-emission.
—Abby Wilson, theweek, 28 Nov. 2024
In 2024, EVs need to make up 22% of automakers’ car sales and 10% of van sales in the U.K.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 27 Nov. 2024
Troopers responded to a business on Providence Turnpike in Brooklyn around 5:20 a.m. on the report of an active larceny involving individuals in a white van with New Jersey license plates allegedly taking cooking oil from local restaurants, according to Connecticut State Police.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for van 
Brian Day, USA TODAY, 4 Dec. 2024
To meet the current goal, 28% of new cars and 16% of new vans sold in 2025 must be zero-emission.
—Abby Wilson, theweek, 28 Nov. 2024
In 2024, EVs need to make up 22% of automakers’ car sales and 10% of van sales in the U.K.
—Byryan Hogg, Fortune Europe, 27 Nov. 2024
Troopers responded to a business on Providence Turnpike in Brooklyn around 5:20 a.m. on the report of an active larceny involving individuals in a white van with New Jersey license plates allegedly taking cooking oil from local restaurants, according to Connecticut State Police.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for van
Recent Examples of Synonyms for van
Noun
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One of those vanguards is Rudy Fraser, a 30-year-old New York technologist with a background in enterprise IT and community organizing.Jason Parham, WIRED, 13 Dec. 2024
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But big insurance companies today are typically far removed from the technological vanguard.IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 22 June 2017
Noun
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In a world where technology continuously blurs the lines between virtual and real, Verstappen is at the forefront of promoting sim racing as a credible platform that can launch careers in real-world racing.Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 19 Dec. 2024
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The question of how to fit the pair together without taking away their natural attributes was at the forefront of Emery’s 2023 pre-season planning.Jacob Tanswell, The Athletic, 19 Dec. 2024
Noun
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During the call, my dad reminisced about his childhood on an Air Force base in New Mexico, where everyone would gather overnight in a vast underground bunker during fallout drills.Jonah Walters, Longreads, 24 Oct. 2024
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Even before the country’s founding in 1948, the Zionist underground movement assassinated British military officers and police, seeing them as obstacles to creating a Jewish state.Dan De Luce, NBC News, 20 Sep. 2024
Noun
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Claressa Shields and Laila Ali, women’s boxing pioneer and the daughter of Muhammad Ali, used to be close.Brian Mazique, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024
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That gave Sammet the opportunity to work with computing pioneer Grace Hopper on the UNIVAC I, the first general-purpose electronic digital computer manufactured in the United States.IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 15 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Van.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/van. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
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