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
Our thoughts untangle against its glow, lose the constraints of language, become primal.
—
Murr Brewster, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Feb. 2025
The title track begins with pummeling percussion, then a primal cry from Juchniewicz.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025
Both films concern parent–child relations but take contrasting approaches to what is taught and learned through those primal connections.
—Armond White, National Review, 14 Feb. 2025
This film is a primal howl, a white-knuckle ride that explores the devastating fragility of the human condition.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primal
Murr Brewster, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Feb. 2025
The title track begins with pummeling percussion, then a primal cry from Juchniewicz.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 19 Feb. 2025
Both films concern parent–child relations but take contrasting approaches to what is taught and learned through those primal connections.
—Armond White, National Review, 14 Feb. 2025
This film is a primal howl, a white-knuckle ride that explores the devastating fragility of the human condition.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 5 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primal
Adjective
-
In addition to a cozy and updated three-bedroom, 1,600-square-foot main home, there’s a small 19th-century cabin with a rock chimney still standing on the property.—
David Caraccio,
Sacramento Bee,
8 Mar. 2025
-
My one and only visit was decades ago, in middle school, when my main priority was riding the roller coaster.—
Mariah Tyler,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In ancient Persia, the charming Jewish orphan for whom the book is named wins King Ahasuerus’s beauty pageant and becomes queen of a massive empire, while keeping her Jewishness secret.—
Tal Fortgang,
National Review,
14 Mar. 2025
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Thus, the team concluded that the late Devonian and late Ordovician extinction events, which respectively took place some 372 and 445 million years ago, were likely caused by such ancient supernovae.—
Bruce Dorminey,
Forbes,
14 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
Many are primitive and remote, and don’t have restrooms or water.—
OregonLive.com,
OregonLive.com,
12 July 2017
Adjective
-
State law also indicates the special primary election must be between 120 to 130 days after the vacancy occurs and that the special general election must be between 70 and 80 days after the special primary.—
John Parkinson,
ABC News,
13 Mar. 2025
-
Originally built in 2004, the unit’s most prize-worthy feature was undoubtedly the enormous walk-in closet in the primary suite.—
Joyce Chen,
Architectural Digest,
13 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
The work recalls a kind of primeval decadence, in the best sense of that word.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
-
These places maintain the largest amount of intact primeval forest and the highest populations of bears, wolves and lynx in all of Europe.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
For example, take Maika’s hunger, which is primordial, terrifying, and magnificent.—
Tiffany Leigh,
Forbes,
13 Mar. 2025
-
However, the researchers are not yet ruling out the possibility that at least some of the water on Earth may be primordial in origin.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Spirit is headquartered in Dania Beach and remains one of the predominant carriers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.—
David Lyons,
Miami Herald,
13 Mar. 2025
-
One of the predominant worries of our age is the desire to live authentically.—
David Katz,
IndieWire,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Permafrost—stable for millennia—is now thawing at an accelerating pace, breaking open microbial vaults from a prehistoric world.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
16 Mar. 2025
-
The arrowhead, found in a pit alongside other prehistoric features, was meticulously carved from flint using a technique called knapping.—
Stories by Real-Time news team, with AI summarization,
Miami Herald,
14 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Primal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primal. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
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