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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of first
Nino Paoli, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025
Dowdle has been an unexpectedly-elite rusher through the first half of the 2025 NFL season.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2025
James stepped over him and Green took offense, first hitting James in the privates and then taking a swing at his back.
—The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for first
Adjective
Mamdani is poised to become the city’s first Muslim mayor, the first of South Asian heritage, and the first born in Africa.
—Nino Paoli, Fortune, 6 Nov. 2025
Dowdle has been an unexpectedly-elite rusher through the first half of the 2025 NFL season.
—Matt Audilet, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
Adverb
At first, Heat players were wondering why Spoelstra wasn’t running the late-game timeout huddle.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2025
James stepped over him and Green took offense, first hitting James in the privates and then taking a swing at his back.
—The Athletic Nba Staff, New York Times, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for first
Recent Examples of Synonyms for first
Adjective
-
An initial target of £2,000 had doubled by the time Scunthorpe confirmed on Thursday that he had been discharged from hospital.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The initial childhood of Victor Frankenstein lends itself more to that age of enlightenment.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
But for much of the past two centuries, Port Renfrew’s main source of employment was not promoting trees but rather chopping them down—particularly, giant, old-growth trees that fetched the highest value.—
Brad Badelt,
Outside,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Rachelle Salnave, a filmmaker in Haiti, sent me videos of a piece of the Route Nationale, the country’s main transportation artery, collapsing like a glacier into a roiling, swollen river.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
11 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
-
His political heirs have also tried to redeem his image in the last decade, portraying him instead as a strong leader who brought stability to the country.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Nations previously interested in buying Russian aircraft have opted for Chinese or NATO offerings instead, like India choosing France's Rafale jet.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
This character of aberrance is what makes accidental surfing deaths seem inevitable—or, rather, inexorable, built into the subway’s force.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The lack of competition means the greatest fear many lawmakers have is not the prospect of losing to the other party in a general election but rather being snuffed out in a primary by a more ideological and extreme challenger.—
Mark Z. Barabak,
Mercury News,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
In addition to performing his new song, Aldean presented Charlie Kirk's widow, Erika Kirk, with the inaugural Charlie Kirk Legacy Award.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Pilot Season, which launched in 2013, was an attempt to add a viewer-forward sheen to Hollywood’s traditional buffet of inaugural episodes.—
Claire McNear,
Rolling Stone,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
The ship returned to PortMiami as scheduled Saturday morning, according to Carnival chief communications officer Chris Chiames.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Much like Blue Origin’s chief competitor, SpaceX — which has long been a dominant force in the commercial launch business — Blue Origin rockets are designed to be partially reused in order to drive down costs.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
9 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
The Red Sox need a middle-of-the-order power threat, preferably a righty who can launch balls over the Green Monster.—
Zach Pressnell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“First.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/first. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share