1
as in main
coming before all others in importance
the primal theme of the essay is toleration of religious diversity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ancient
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period
there was a period of primal idealism after the founding of the republic and before the rise of partisan politics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of primal
But the primal drive to hook the first walleye of winter—and post the trophy on social media—can lead to questionable choices.
—
Stephanie Pearson, Outside, 14 Jan. 2026
But there is a primal scream stuck in our collective throat.
—Phil Morris The Minnesota Star Tribune, Arkansas Online, 10 Jan. 2026
The vast, indifferent Moroccan desert acts as a major character, stripping the human characters bare and forcing a primal confrontation with mortality, loss, and the unconstrained forces of nature.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026
The lawsuit includes beef (fresh or frozen) made from chuck, loin, rib or round primal cuts, according to the lawsuit's website.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for primal
Stephanie Pearson, Outside, 14 Jan. 2026
But there is a primal scream stuck in our collective throat.
—Phil Morris The Minnesota Star Tribune, Arkansas Online, 10 Jan. 2026
The vast, indifferent Moroccan desert acts as a major character, stripping the human characters bare and forcing a primal confrontation with mortality, loss, and the unconstrained forces of nature.
—Robert Lang, Deadline, 7 Jan. 2026
The lawsuit includes beef (fresh or frozen) made from chuck, loin, rib or round primal cuts, according to the lawsuit's website.
—Saleen Martin, USA Today, 2 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for primal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primal
Adjective
-
Sami Zayn won a Fatal 4-Way main event for the right to face Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
-
This could happen especially with more hilly routes or ones not near main roads.—
Chilekasi Adele,
CBS News,
25 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The unique find follows a long list of discoveries related to ancient Rome in recent months.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The bronze doors and concrete walls with remarkably few windows looked ancient, and the building more closely resembled a student dormitory awaiting demolition than an institution where precious cultural assets from around the world were collected and stored.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Mobile computing started with devices that now seem laughably primitive.—
Tim Bajarin,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
That means camping at the stunning Roaring Brook Campground is primitive (and only an option in the summer), so make sure to pack plenty of water, food, and headlamps.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
For many people who stream music every day, how artists and rightsholders are paid is not a primary concern.—
Shain Shapiro,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
But under California’s top-two primary system, the two candidates with the most votes advance to the November general election regardless of party affiliation.—
Grace Hase,
Mercury News,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
This 50-square-mile crescent in the Pacific has the southernmost coral reef in the world and a wealth of wilderness walks that include everything from primeval banyan forests to endangered ground-dwelling birds.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Dec. 2025
-
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California Time slows to a primeval pace in the sequoia groves that make up Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, where arboreal giants have watched the seasons come and go for more than 2,000 years.—
Sarah L. Stewart,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The team suggested that under specific primordial conditions, pristine gas clouds — which would typically fragment and form stars — instead collapsed wholesale into massive black holes.—
Sharmila Kuthunur,
Space.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Giving off Hawking radiation, a primordial black hole that was originally the size of an atomic nucleus would meet its doom in the modern universe, slowly dwindling before ending in a sudden, extreme burst of particles.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
By the next day, anger and fear felt like the predominant emotional states.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Centuries ago, exhalations of humans and animals, in addition to that derived from natural processes such as decay and forest fires, may have been predominant.—
Beronda L. Montgomery,
PEOPLE,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The conduct of those two agents, from the earliest moments interacting with demonstrators up through their decision to pull weapons and fire at Pretti, illustrate the dangers of flooding American cities with officers ill-equipped to deal with protesters in urban environments, experts told CNN.—
Yahya Abou-Ghazala,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
-
China had closed its borders during the Covid-19 pandemic and only reopened them in earnest in early 2023.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Primal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primal. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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