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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ancestor
The types of joints we (and most vertebrates) share most likely originated from the same common ancestor.
—
Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 21 Mar. 2025
The analysis also suggests that the Fijian iguanas diverged from their American ancestors between 34 million and 30 million years ago, settling around the same time as the volcanic formation of the Fijian archipelago, Scarpetta said.
—Julianna Bragg, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
Flashback: Ohlone ancestors long inhabited the Presidio and surrounding region before the site became a military outpost during the Mexican-American war.
—Nadia Lopez, Axios, 21 Mar. 2025
The auntie’s going to always be there for her niece as an ancestor.
—Fox Maxy, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Elizabeth Rayne, Ars Technica, 21 Mar. 2025
The analysis also suggests that the Fijian iguanas diverged from their American ancestors between 34 million and 30 million years ago, settling around the same time as the volcanic formation of the Fijian archipelago, Scarpetta said.
—Julianna Bragg, CNN, 21 Mar. 2025
Flashback: Ohlone ancestors long inhabited the Presidio and surrounding region before the site became a military outpost during the Mexican-American war.
—Nadia Lopez, Axios, 21 Mar. 2025
The auntie’s going to always be there for her niece as an ancestor.
—Fox Maxy, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor
Noun
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The emotions were unavoidable on Saturday for Ian Happ, who got a standing ovation for his 1,000th game as a Cub, as well as Matthew Boyd, who got choked up after winning his first start at Wrigley Field in a Cubs uniform, thinking of his late grandfather, a Cubs fan who grew up in Chicago.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
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Founded by her grandfather 75 years ago, Klem's sells a wide range of products including hardware, pet food and clothes.—
Alina Selyukh,
NPR,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The most obvious forerunner is Video Quartet, a 2002 work in which four screens show four videos simultaneously, each constructed from myriad film clips, all synced in a way that interlaces their soundtracks into a musical composition.—
Jonathon Keats,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Solution #4: Charles Schwab Schwab, a forerunner in discount brokerage, has a bank subsidiary that can do what banks usually do.—
William Baldwin,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Paisley’s father got a chance to see Pride again in 2009, when President Obama hosted a country music night at the East Room in the White House, featuring the trailblazing singer and his son, alongside Alison Krauss.—
Stephen L. Betts,
Rolling Stone,
3 Apr. 2025
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The podcast itself is very emotional in terms of coming to terms with who her father is, and also sitting down with the family members of her father’s victims.—
Mikey O'Connell,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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For many years, China has been the largest source of both legal supplies of the drug – which is prescribed for severe pain relief – and illicit supplies of precursor chemicals that are typically processed in labs in Mexico before the final product is smuggled across the US border.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2025
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This concoction of shredded beef in tomato sauce is believed by some to be a precursor to the American Sloppy Joe.—
Matt Rozo,
The Mercury News,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Whereas Main Street’s predecessor as recently as October of 2024 had planned to void all of its legacy MLB deals but for one, the company entered the new season with nine clubs under contract.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Larry, who died in January, was a 31-year veteran of the New York office of FTA and its predecessor, the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA), who began as a political appointee in 1981 under the Reagan administration and stayed, switching over to being in the career civil service.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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As improbable as that sounds for an upright, short-wheelbase 4×4, the EV Bronco prototype is about much more than just straight-line speed and all-electric range.—
Michael Van Runkle,
Robb Report,
2 Apr. 2025
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His most egregious act may have been sharing a video that purported to show a fully functional prototype, whereas the truck actually was rolling down a small hill.—
Dan Primack,
Axios,
31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.
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