as in watchful
having or showing signs of eagerly awaiting something
couldn't control his anticipatory excitement on Christmas morning
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of anticipatory
While much of health-care hiring is driven by necessity, anticipatory hiring is picking up in retail and transportation for employers to get ahead of the holiday shopping season, signaling that businesses expect consumer spending to be strong through the rest of the year.
—
Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025
In the meantime, the musician is setting the anticipatory bar high.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
Some of the behavior of the economy in the 2nd quarter was anticipatory, and transitory.
—George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Over the last half-billion years, squid, octopuses and their kin have evolved much like a fireworks display, with long, anticipatory pauses interspersed with intense, explosive changes.
—Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anticipatory
Jennifer Liu, CNBC, 19 Sep. 2025
In the meantime, the musician is setting the anticipatory bar high.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 16 Sep. 2025
Some of the behavior of the economy in the 2nd quarter was anticipatory, and transitory.
—George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Over the last half-billion years, squid, octopuses and their kin have evolved much like a fireworks display, with long, anticipatory pauses interspersed with intense, explosive changes.
—Jake Buehler, Quanta Magazine, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anticipatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anticipatory
Adjective
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Robin is about 30% autonomous, while a team of operators working remotely controls the rest under the watchful eyes of clinical staff.—
HALLIE GOLDEN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS,
Arkansas Online,
26 Oct. 2025
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Palestinian schoolgirls saunter down a street in the Gaza Strip under the watchful eye of an Israeli patrol.—
Susan Sontag,
Vogue,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The maternity concierge serves as a liaison, guiding expectant parents through the multifaceted stages of pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, alleviating anxiety and stress while assisting families in navigating the journey.—
MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center,
Oc Register,
16 Oct. 2025
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Fedorus recalled her initial concerns as a then-expectant parent in a personal essay for the CBC.—
David Chiu,
PEOPLE,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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According to Nietzel, the increase seems to be driven by a younger demographic, who are generally more open-minded and enthusiastic about treatments, and view it as a form of bonding time.—
Ariana Yaptangco,
Glamour,
29 Oct. 2025
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China also wasn’t the pushover that the most enthusiastic spy reports suggested.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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So many seem eager to be rid of the labors of thought and expression—the very labors that define them as free and autonomous human beings—by ceding them to generative artificial intelligence.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
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Wall Street has been eager to cash in on the technology that some believe could be as foundational as the smartphone or the internet, with AI playing a bigger role in everything from office work to health care and education.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Some men avoid the gym or the beach altogether, wear baggy shirts year-round or feel anxious about intimacy.—
Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt,
CNN Money,
26 Oct. 2025
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Ottosson says reading the script was an anxious experience in itself.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Anticipatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anticipatory. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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