1
as in main
coming before all others in importance
our chief priority this year will be cutting the budget
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in presiding
highest in rank or authority
the chief administrator will be retiring soon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in body
the main or greater part of something as distinguished from its subordinate parts
the chief of the estate was left to the eldest son
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in leader
the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do
our chief is out on a business trip right now
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of chief
Richard J. Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2025
Its chief areas of responsibility are the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Oct. 2025
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent searches for a new police chief have taken over a year to complete, often exposing dysfunctions in the city’s branches of leadership.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chief
Adjective
In their quest to know the scholarship status, the trio visited Carmen Arrieta-Calendaria, chief financial officer.
—Richard J. Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 18 Oct. 2025
Its chief areas of responsibility are the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Oct. 2025
Noun
OpenAI has also benefited from the talent of Jony Ive, Apple’s former design chief.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent searches for a new police chief have taken over a year to complete, often exposing dysfunctions in the city’s branches of leadership.
—Shomik Mukherjee, Mercury News, 13 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for chief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chief
Adjective
-
Howl at hootenanny Ozark Natural Science Center presents the annual Bear Hollow Hootenanny fundraiser Saturday and Sunday at the center's main campus north of Huntsville adjacent to the Madison County Wildlife Management Area.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Oct. 2025
-
D’Angelo wrote, arranged, and performed almost the entire album album by himself, with some additional contributions coming from Saadiq, Q-Tip, and his main collaborator, A Tribe Called Quest’s go-to engineer Bob Power.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
These cells, known as hematopoietic stem cells, are the body’s building blocks for every type of blood cell, from oxygen-carrying red cells to immune-boosting white cells.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Oct. 2025
-
At least one of the many knife wounds on Greenberg’s body was to the back of her neck.—
Brandon Griggs,
CNN Money,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Schneider has been a vital leader for Walpole all year in a preseason position switch from the forward line to center-midfielder.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
17 Oct. 2025
-
This is the web version of CEO Daily, a newsletter of must-read global insights from CEOs and industry leaders.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The 2019 Nationals aren’t even the foremost road warriors of the last few years.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Olivier Wenden is Vice Chairman & CEO, Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco, one of the world’s foremost philanthropic institutions dedicated to environmental conservation.—
Olivier Wenden,
Fortune,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
But Guerrero remains the core piece.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
-
Two sources told Fortune that Amazon’s human resources division—known internally as PXT or the People eXperience Technology team—will be hard hit, but that other areas of Amazon’s core consumer business are also likely to be affected.—
Jason Del Rey,
Fortune,
15 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Connors helped just about everyone who needed it, his friend PR boss George Regan said at the awards ceremony.—
Joe Dwinell,
Boston Herald,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Your next movie night will be complete with this ’90s psychological thriller starring a vengeful nanny attempting to destroy a former boss’s life.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
And while Sturm offers a small group of men’s options (the Face Cream Men doubles as an after-shave soother), some of her male clientele seem content to buy the primary unisex line.—
Justin Fenner,
Robb Report,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Essential menopause services belong in national primary health packages and in public and private insurance coverage.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Instead, Reeves became Estragon, the more simplistic and long-suffering of the duo, while Winter tackled Vladimir, the more commanding and verbose character.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Since the late 90s, Jungen has forged a name for himself internationally through his commanding sculptural practice.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Chief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chief. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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