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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ancestor
For example, juniper berries and blueberries are both blue, but their ancestors may have developed that coloration separately.
—
Molly Herring, Quanta Magazine, 27 June 2025
On the Monday, June 23, episode of the long-running quiz game show, three contestants were given a clue and one of them, Emily Croke, answered correctly and became the champion — partially because the clue referred to an ancestor of hers.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 25 June 2025
Their analyses suggest the most recent common ancestor of living night lizards arose more than 92 million years ago, long before the Chicxulub asteroid crashed down.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025
There were two prevailing theories: the fossils were either survivors of the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event who made it to the Paleocene or the earliest ancestors of Eocene marsupial species that roamed Earth millions of years after the Paleocene.
—Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Molly Herring, Quanta Magazine, 27 June 2025
On the Monday, June 23, episode of the long-running quiz game show, three contestants were given a clue and one of them, Emily Croke, answered correctly and became the champion — partially because the clue referred to an ancestor of hers.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 25 June 2025
Their analyses suggest the most recent common ancestor of living night lizards arose more than 92 million years ago, long before the Chicxulub asteroid crashed down.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025
There were two prevailing theories: the fossils were either survivors of the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event who made it to the Paleocene or the earliest ancestors of Eocene marsupial species that roamed Earth millions of years after the Paleocene.
—Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor
Noun
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Roley's grandfather, Dale Roley, told the New York Times on Monday that the suspect was working for a tree company and had expressed interest in becoming a forest firefighter.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
1 July 2025
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The latest is that the 21-year-old’s grandfather, the bullfighter Manuel Torres-Cansino, was a cousin of the American actress Margarita Carmen Cansino, commonly known as Rita Hayworth.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
29 June 2025
Noun
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The killer is a man who, for all his delusions, pokes at the other men’s complacency and domesticity — making this thriller a forerunner of everything from Easy Rider to The Hitcher to Collateral. 20.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
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Here is a look at some of the most likely forerunners to serve as the 267th pope, according to public reporting.—
Caitlin McFall,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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His father, Scotty Robinson, also had a career in country music for a while, so clearly the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.—
Sid Evans,
Southern Living,
8 July 2025
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Turns out, Yun had fallen in love with Marcello’s father Alfredo (Luca Zingaretti) — a relationship that doesn’t seem to scandalize anyone, not even Marcello’s mom Lorella (Sabrina Ferilli).—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
8 July 2025
Noun
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Organizations can measure psychological safety data as a precursor to inclusion.—
Julie Kratz,
Forbes.com,
29 June 2025
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Washington said the firms funneled money to Chinese firms that produce the precursors for fentanyl, the powerful synthetic opioid that has stoked a drug epidemic in the US.—
Ben Smith,
semafor.com,
27 June 2025
Noun
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As of today, Trump has signed 164 executive orders, an extraordinarily brisk pace compared to predecessors (well, most of them: FDR is a standout).—
Clyde Wayne Crews Jr,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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Compared to its predecessors, Perseverance uses an advanced abrading bit and gaseous Dust Removal Tool, or gDRT, which applies five puffs of nitrogen to clear samples in a way that poses less risk of contamination.—
Samantha Mathewson,
Space.com,
30 June 2025
Noun
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To do so, Nemo audaciously steals a prototype submarine from the penal colony in which he is imprisoned, escaping into the ocean with a motley crew of fellow prisoners.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
8 July 2025
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Try generating your own wireframe or high-fidelity prototype.—
Shyam Ravindranathan,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
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