granddaddy

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

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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 granddaddy The granddaddy of all medical dramas ran from 1994 to 2009, for 15 old-school, network-length seasons on NBC. Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025 Week 4: No. 15 Tennessee at No. 16 Oklahoma (Sept. 21) Sports columnists love a narrative game, and this is the granddaddy of narrative games. Blake Toppmeyer, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024 This show has become the granddaddy of tech shows and is the largest in the U.S. Tim Bajarin, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024 As the granddaddy of partnerships with limited liability, the LP, the original limited partnership, offered taxpayers the strongest claim for invoking the loophole. Paul Kiel, ProPublica, 11 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for granddaddy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for granddaddy
Noun
  • The auntie’s going to always be there for her niece as an ancestor.
    Fox Maxy, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2025
  • The ephemerides were the ancestors of astronomical tables, which still exist.
    James Byrne, The Conversation, 17 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The notable feature of this particular death factory was its use of gas vans, a forerunner to the larger, more impersonal gas chambers built at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka.
    Josh Weiss, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
  • In 1914, Frank Newman opened the Royal Theatre which was a forerunner to movie palaces in the city, a significant departure from nickelodeons.
    Michael Wells, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • His predecessor, former President Biden, attended all of the dinners during his four-year term.
    Filip Timotija, The Hill, 15 Mar. 2025
  • Earlier this week, Intel announced Tan was filling the role left vacant when the board ousted his predecessor, Pat Gelsinger.
    Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 15 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Granddaddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/granddaddy. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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