1
as in grandfather
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent
Bridie's Irish ancestors immigrated to the United States in the 19th century during the Great Potato Famine
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in forerunner
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
pinball machines—the ancestors of today's video games—go back to the 19th century
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ancestor
Our ancestors, for all their lack of flossing, rarely had cavities.
—
Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
But the new research provides some answers, hinting that the ancestors of spiders and scorpions may have had a wetter start than traditionally thought.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 22 July 2025
Now, locals whose ancestors once toiled proudly in the quarries have established a movement to shutter them.
—Meara Sharma, The Dial, 22 July 2025
Such cooperative behavior to defend from predators like raptors may have first evolved in our ancestors.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
But the new research provides some answers, hinting that the ancestors of spiders and scorpions may have had a wetter start than traditionally thought.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 22 July 2025
Now, locals whose ancestors once toiled proudly in the quarries have established a movement to shutter them.
—Meara Sharma, The Dial, 22 July 2025
Such cooperative behavior to defend from predators like raptors may have first evolved in our ancestors.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor
Noun
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Just across the river from Wilmington, on the other side of the Delaware Memorial Bridge, the Scott’s Auto repair shop founded by his grandfather has been a mainstay in Carneys Point, N.J., since 1978.—
Jeff Gluck,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
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Back in November 2023, Johnson proudly showed off that his granddaughter had dressed up just like her NBA player grandfather.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
24 July 2025
Noun
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Jarry is often cited as a forerunner to the Dada, surrealist and futurist movements in the early 20th century and later, the theater of the absurd.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 July 2025
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Gilligan, who also created Saul’s forerunner Breaking Bad, will serve as writer and showrunner.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
25 July 2025
Noun
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My father never got to speak for himself because his health robbed him of that chance.—
Rance Collins,
IndieWire,
20 July 2025
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Over the two decades that Al-Waleed was in a coma, his father opted to keep him on life support and often shared social media footage of himself and other family members praying for his son's recovery.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
20 July 2025
Noun
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Chinese authorities have since controlled a number of these precursor chemicals.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
12 July 2025
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As a precursor of sorts for CBS stalwart Survivor (which returns for its 49th edition on September 24), Big Brother is the perfect reality appetizer before the ultimate main course.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
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That’s one of the challenges that Gearbox confronted when developing Borderlands 4 (out Sept. 12), a sequel that’s due to arrive in a very different gaming landscape than its predecessor.—
Jonathan Zavaleta,
Rolling Stone,
25 July 2025
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Alas, the rest of moisturizer is serious, almost subdued, at least compared with its rollicking predecessor.—
Armin Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
25 July 2025
Noun
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This looks to be a pre-release model, but one that has advanced beyond the basic prototype stage.—
Ewan Spence,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
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The first prototypes, Coyote Rovers, started as Boston Dynamics Spot robots.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.
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