variants
also forbear
as in ancestor
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent
his forebears came to America on the Mayflower
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forebear
Legends brain trust then used animation to flesh out how Shimpo was taken in by Mr. Han’s (Chan) forebears and taught kung fu.
—
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 30 May 2025
But Rowe said this request posed a moral dilemma for the Episcopal Church, which has deep ties to the Anglican Church of Southern Africa and counts the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu—an outspoken opponent of apartheid—among its spiritual forebears.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
Modern Puebloans—whose forebears may have hunted on the high deserts around the Rio Blanco nuclear test site—believe their ancient ancestors first emerged from the underworld.
—Literary Hub, 11 June 2025
Pullman Market follows in the footsteps of Eataly before it, but this complex’s concepts are so much more distinct and delicious than anything that forebear has offered.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for forebear
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 30 May 2025
But Rowe said this request posed a moral dilemma for the Episcopal Church, which has deep ties to the Anglican Church of Southern Africa and counts the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu—an outspoken opponent of apartheid—among its spiritual forebears.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
Modern Puebloans—whose forebears may have hunted on the high deserts around the Rio Blanco nuclear test site—believe their ancient ancestors first emerged from the underworld.
—Literary Hub, 11 June 2025
Pullman Market follows in the footsteps of Eataly before it, but this complex’s concepts are so much more distinct and delicious than anything that forebear has offered.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for forebear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forebear
Noun
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The gift of 'The Mahabharata' that my ancestors gave me is truly the gift that keeps giving.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
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The same ancestor who founded this homestead left his own family behind in Georgia; that cold resolve is Hailey’s inheritance too.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 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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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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An earlier home on this land at 11 Mountain Spring Road in Farmington was owned by Norton’s grandfather, John Treadwell, who became Connecticut’s governor in 1809.—
James Alexander,
Hartford Courant,
29 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forebear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forebear. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
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