1
as in initial
coming before all others in time or order
the much-studied first—and last—voyage of the Titanic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in main
coming before all others in importance
there are a number of reasons we can't go, but the first is that we don't have the money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in foremost
highest in rank or authority
auditioned and got first clarinet in the band
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in instead
as a substitute
eat peas? I'd eat cockroaches first
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in rather
by choice or preference
we will not give in, but will fight for our freedom first
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of first
Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
The couple married in 2014, welcoming their first child in 2015 and their second child in 2020.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Nov. 2025
The artificial intelligence company first launched Sora for Apple devices in September.
—Jaures Yip, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for first
Adjective
The Blue Jays got the scoring started early and fast after outfielder Davis Schneider took Dodgers starter Blake Snell deep in the first inning.
—Jacob Lev, CNN Money, 30 Oct. 2025
The couple married in 2014, welcoming their first child in 2015 and their second child in 2020.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Adverb
Ditch the 'Proper' Washer Loading Order Another laundry rule that is outdated because of changes to our washing machines is the proper loading order—which used to be water first, then detergent, and finally clothes.
—Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Nov. 2025
The artificial intelligence company first launched Sora for Apple devices in September.
—Jaures Yip, CNBC, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for first
Recent Examples of Synonyms for first
Adjective
-
His initial coping mechanism was to throw his water bottle in frustration.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The items collect dust, and the space is rarely revisited after the initial setup until the holidays come around.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Cebu is also one the country’s main tourist centers.—
Robert Birsel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Most of the money was poured into three main super PACs, both pro-Cuomo and anti-Mamdani.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Despite the massive buildout, Al Khateeb assured the crowd that protecting the natural environment remains a foremost concern of Saudi Arabia’s government.—
Angelica Ang,
Fortune,
30 Oct. 2025
-
The unscripted series pairs Snooki with Kevin Whitaker, one of Canada’s foremost psychic mediums.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
30 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Airwallex’s focus, instead, is on companies that want a global presence and need to be able to issue employee cards, open bank accounts, and pay merchants across dozens of jurisdictions.—
Leo Schwartz,
Fortune,
3 Nov. 2025
-
But Ash sends himself and Genevieve all the way back to 1893 instead, leaving the stability of the entire universe at risk.—
Caroline Carlson,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
The sixth-year veteran has been rather terrible as of late.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
-
But a few of those games have been rather close, particularly last year’s 30-27 win in double overtime.—
Chase Gemes,
Kansas City Star,
24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The inaugural Wonder Project | Stand Together Fellowship was awarded to Christopher Holt for his script 27 Cows.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
25 Oct. 2025
-
On this day in 1985, the Kings played their first game in Sacramento, opening their inaugural season in California’s capitol city with a 108-104 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers before a sellout crowd of 10,333 at Arco Arena.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
After all avenues have been exhausted for finding out who these people are, the chief medical examiner of Alexandroupoli calls the chief imam of Sidiro, which is a Muslim Greek village.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Its chief investment vehicle is Humain, a homegrown company that is building out a full stack of data centers, cloud capabilities, large language models and applications.—
Tala Alrajjal,
CNN Money,
2 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
A little splash of any kind of milk, preferably a house made nut milk but those are hard to come by.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
30 Oct. 2025
-
As the search continues for a permanent home, Kaplan told Newsweek that Nikki would need to be the only dog in the home, and preferably one without young children.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“First.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/first. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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