variants
also grandaddy
as in ancestor
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
the granddaddy of all English mystery novels
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 granddaddy
This is the granddaddy of biases in the business world.
—
Jj Rosen, The Tennessean, 24 July 2025
Bonilla has the granddaddy of all deferred deals, and July 1 is his biggest day of the year.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 1 July 2025
He's won the Indy 500 (still considered the granddaddy of the Indy series) back-to-back, in 2023 and 2024.
—Tracy Smith, CBS News, 15 June 2025
The Next Chapter will live together under one roof, and face news stunts and challenges and a twisted game of social strategy a la CBS granddaddy Survivor.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for granddaddy
Jj Rosen, The Tennessean, 24 July 2025
Bonilla has the granddaddy of all deferred deals, and July 1 is his biggest day of the year.
—Barry M. Bloom, Sportico.com, 1 July 2025
He's won the Indy 500 (still considered the granddaddy of the Indy series) back-to-back, in 2023 and 2024.
—Tracy Smith, CBS News, 15 June 2025
The Next Chapter will live together under one roof, and face news stunts and challenges and a twisted game of social strategy a la CBS granddaddy Survivor.
—Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for granddaddy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for granddaddy
Noun
-
In 2024, some 75 representatives gathered in Pegli, near Genoa, their ancestors’ home.—
Miquel Ros,
CNN Money,
7 Oct. 2025
-
Dogs’ tendency to chase or bark at cats often stems from their natural prey drive, a leftover instinct from their wild ancestors.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Compared to their forerunners in the tsarist era, with their party congresses held abroad, their executive committees, and their active recruitment in imperial Russia’s universities, Soviet dissidents remained a comparatively small and informal conglomeration of activists.—
Benjamin Nathans
September 24,
Literary Hub,
24 Sep. 2025
-
The event turned out to be a forerunner to the UN Earth Summit.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
This was a stark contrast to the house’s recent collections by Lagerfeld’s predecessor, Virginie Viard, who played things very safe and conservative.—
Mecca Pryor,
Essence,
8 Oct. 2025
-
In doing so, Piccioli subtly weaves in his own creative quirks, while winking (from behind dark glasses) at his predecessor — a way of not entirely unsettling the clientele won over during the previous decade.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Granddaddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/granddaddy. Accessed 13 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share