as in watchful
having or showing signs of eagerly awaiting something
couldn't control his anticipatory excitement on Christmas morning
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of anticipatory
Didion’s book illuminated anticipatory grief and gave me language for my experience.
—
Literary Hub, 16 Dec. 2025
Service is flawless and anticipatory—within a day or two, staff address hotel guests by name, remembering coffee and cocktail preferences during meals.
—Angelina Villa-Clarke, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Nov. 2025
Limited strikes can generate anticipatory displacement—families in border and coastal states who were undecided about leaving decide not to wait.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
As Sportico detailed, Pasadena and the RBOC sued UCLA a couple of weeks ago for breach of contract and anticipatory repudiation.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anticipatory
Literary Hub, 16 Dec. 2025
Service is flawless and anticipatory—within a day or two, staff address hotel guests by name, remembering coffee and cocktail preferences during meals.
—Angelina Villa-Clarke, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Nov. 2025
Limited strikes can generate anticipatory displacement—families in border and coastal states who were undecided about leaving decide not to wait.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
As Sportico detailed, Pasadena and the RBOC sued UCLA a couple of weeks ago for breach of contract and anticipatory repudiation.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anticipatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anticipatory
Adjective
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All under the watchful eyes of scouts from 30 of the 32 NFL teams.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
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Be watchful of ponding on roadways.—
Leah Olajide,
Freep.com,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Advertisement Get comfortable with silence A moment of silence can feel like an eternity, especially when the mic is in your hands and a sea of expectant eyes are staring right at you.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
20 Feb. 2026
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On weekends for more than five years, volunteers at the East Plano Islamic Center have braved wind, cold and, recently, heckling protesters to pass out boxes of food to a long line of expectant cars.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The first screening was at Sundance, and there was a very enthusiastic reception.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Mar. 2026
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But analysis about its debut was less enthusiastic.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The firefighters shrugged him off and seemed eager to finish the assignment.—
Alene Tchekmedyian,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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Pembroke Pines Commissioners Tom Good and Mike Hernandez won reelection Tuesday despite a challenge from rivals eager to represent Broward County’s second most populous city.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The film is at its best building tension and showing us just how anxious life is under dictatorial rule.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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The anxious impatience of being en route has permeated cootie catcher’s music since their earliest releases in 2021.—
Jude Noel,
Pitchfork,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anticipatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anticipatory. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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