1
as in main
coming before all others in importance
the primal theme of the essay is toleration of religious diversity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ancient
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period
there was a period of primal idealism after the founding of the republic and before the rise of partisan politics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of primal
The invisible force is a powerful, primal motivator.
—
Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 6 Mar. 2025
There’s a simple yet primal excitement for taking down beasts that resemble dragons and dinosaurs, which coexist with wildly distinct creatures outside the usual role-playing norms, such as the puffy bat-like Paolumu that floats in the air like a balloon.
—Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2025
Adria had a primal, violent feeling of losing her place, falling away from the course.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 17 Feb. 2025
Our thoughts untangle against its glow, lose the constraints of language, become primal.
—Murr Brewster, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primal
Michael Deeds, Idaho Statesman, 6 Mar. 2025
There’s a simple yet primal excitement for taking down beasts that resemble dragons and dinosaurs, which coexist with wildly distinct creatures outside the usual role-playing norms, such as the puffy bat-like Paolumu that floats in the air like a balloon.
—Diego Argüello, Rolling Stone, 27 Feb. 2025
Adria had a primal, violent feeling of losing her place, falling away from the course.
—Daniel D'addario, Variety, 17 Feb. 2025
Our thoughts untangle against its glow, lose the constraints of language, become primal.
—Murr Brewster, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primal
Adjective
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The president has touted these tariffs as a way to help the US government rely less on income taxes as a main form of revenue.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN Money,
2 Apr. 2025
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Sean Penn co-stars as the film’s main villain, a steely-eyed colonel who looked pretty frigging scary in the footage, while Benicio del Toro is DiCaprio’s gun-toting, gonzo comrade.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The dire wolf genome analyzed to determine what those changes were was extracted from two ancient samples—one a 13,000-year-old tooth found in Sheridan Pit, Ohio, the other a 72,000-year-old ear bone unearthed in American Falls, Idaho.—
Jeffrey Kluger,
Time,
7 Apr. 2025
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Colossal scientists have created three dire wolf pups by using ancient DNA, cloning and gene-editing technology to alter the genes of a gray wolf, the prehistoric dire wolf’s closest living relative, the company announced Monday.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Houde said these mammoth animals are a primitive group of proboscideans ('elephantoids') from which modern elephants evolved.—
Joseph J. Kolb,
Fox News,
18 July 2017
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Many are primitive and remote, and don’t have restrooms or water.—
OregonLive.com,
OregonLive.com,
12 July 2017
Adjective
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Algeria’s western neighbor and primary rival, Morocco, also received its first batch of Akinci drones in February 2025.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
-
As the cool new kid in town, his Tommy Oliver was transformed into one of the core team of rangers' (Amy Jo Johnson, David Yost, Austin St. John, Walter Emanuel Jones, and Thuy Trang) primary adversaries: the fearsome Green Ranger.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
6 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The little mountain park lay almost at our feet, a gem of unspoiled primeval beauty.—
Percy Brown,
Outdoor Life,
26 Mar. 2025
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About three hours from the capital city of Quito, Ecuador, the cloud forest feels primeval and otherworldly.—
Greg Iacurci,
CNBC,
1 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This includes what appear to be regions of high and low density in this sea of primordial hydrogen and helium.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
18 Mar. 2025
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The rest of my day follows a familiar, primordial pattern: paddle, swim, birdsong, eat, drink, sunscreen, paddle, swim, sunscreen, birds, drink, eat, paddle, swim, paddle.—
Dan Rubinstein,
Outside Online,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The policies announced so far in Trump's current term are on track to push the average tariff to 22.5%, per the Yale Budget Lab. Flashback: From the colonial era through the early 1900s, tariffs were the predominant source of the federal government's revenue.—
Neil Irwin,
Axios,
5 Apr. 2025
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During oral arguments, Louisiana and its backers sought to argue that there was a difference between considering race when creating the congressional maps versus viewing race as the predominant factor.—
Zach Schonfeld,
The Hill,
24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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The bear's remains provide a glimpse into the region's prehistoric fauna and climatic conditions.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
26 Mar. 2025
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These megafauna ate prehistoric avocados whole, spreading the pits—and, as a consequence, the fruits—across the region.—
Eli Wizevich,
Smithsonian Magazine,
24 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Primal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primal. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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