1
as in vanguard
the innovators of new concepts, styles, and techniques especially in the arts
an artist who was in the van of abstract expressionism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in forefront
the leading or most important part of a movement
a company that is considered by some to be in the van of the latest technology for renewable energy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of van
Does the Robeta Ananya make van life more tantalizing for you?
—
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2025
That means a lot of driving around in his beat-up van and sticking his nose in the business of people who would really just like to do their Late Stage Capitalism in private.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2025
The gunman fired indiscriminately at the ICE building, as well as at a van in an entrance where the victims were shot, the statement said.
—Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
Federal investigators say the gunman who opened fire was positioned on the roof of a nearby law firm and targeted an unmarked van transporting detainees, per Fox 4.
—Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for van
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 24 Sep. 2025
That means a lot of driving around in his beat-up van and sticking his nose in the business of people who would really just like to do their Late Stage Capitalism in private.
—Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 24 Sep. 2025
The gunman fired indiscriminately at the ICE building, as well as at a van in an entrance where the victims were shot, the statement said.
—Janelle Griffith, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2025
Federal investigators say the gunman who opened fire was positioned on the roof of a nearby law firm and targeted an unmarked van transporting detainees, per Fox 4.
—Joshua Rhett Miller, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for van
Recent Examples of Synonyms for van
Noun
-
The home of world-leading firms such as Samsung, Hyundai, and LG spent decades at technology’s vanguard, but fortunes have wilted in recent years because of a stifling regulatory environment, demographic pressures, and fierce competition from China.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
17 Sep. 2025
-
He’s so far collaborated with acts like Ecco2k and Xaviersobased, themselves vanguards of the underground-rap scene.—
Jeff Ihaza,
Rolling Stone,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Some things stayed exactly the same, most notably at the forefront of the rankings, with the usual names staying put.—
Brendan Connelly,
Boston Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
-
But, yes, health has definitely been at the forefront of the Hornets’ preparations since the season concluded.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Unlike the neo-Leninist underground, moreover, dissidents had no desire to revive Bolshevik revolutionary traditions, with their ideological discipline, armed conspiracy, and noms de guerre.—
Benjamin Nathans
September 24,
Literary Hub,
24 Sep. 2025
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Burnham Yard also is near an Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site for radium contamination, but the Terracon report did not find any indication that there is a substantial amount of radioactive material underground.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
France and Nordic countries, pioneers in subsidized childcare and paid parental leave, maintain relatively higher fertility than peers.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
-
French smart telescope pioneer Vaonis helps quench my thirst with a special edition of its flagship that puts the inner workings on view.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
30 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Van.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/van. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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