as in first
coming before all others in time or order
the earliest computers were massive machines that practically filled up a room
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earliest
Adjective
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Immediately after the cease-fire takes effect, Israel will let 400 aid trucks enter Gaza everyday for the first five days, and gradually increase that number, a senior Palestinian official told the BBC.—
Callum Sutherland,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025 -
The program gives team members the chance to experience different roles, properties, and cultures first-hand, building skills and strengthening connections across the region, and—in the process—strengthening the company’s cross-cultural bonds.—
Rebecca Ann Hughes,
Fortune,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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With more than 600 million copies of the books sold worldwide, and everything related to them continuing to do well years after the initial release of the books, one wonders how this series remains popular despite the deluge of young adult novels (and controversy) that followed it.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
12 Oct. 2025
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In an email, Uber said Rinderknecht passed his initial background check in 2023.—
Eric Levenson,
CNN Money,
11 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The original sword requested by administration officials was given to Eisenhower in 1947 by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
13 Oct. 2025
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Gathering more accurate data about right whales while revising the original law would help protect the animals, Olsen said.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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One of Germany’s foremost creative voices, Hess was the recipient of Deadline’s first-ever German TV Disruptor accolade in 2024.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
8 Oct. 2025
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And that’s a monstrous problem for a team built around a staff that is now missing its foremost top-of-the-rotation force, in Zack Wheeler.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Earliest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earliest. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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