variants
also forbear
as in ancestor
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent
his forebears came to America on the Mayflower
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forebear
There is plenty about Norris to make fun of, but I’d be thrilled if today’s MAGA bros honored their forbears and were slightly less histrionic.
—
John Devore, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
That was how so many of their forebears settled here, having survived slavery and Jim Crow, working land some of the families own to this day.
—Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2026
McNair spoke, unsuccessfully, before an Alabama Legislature that wanted to limit how schools teach events, such as the bombing that killed her sister, lest White children feel guilt for the sins of their forebears.
—John Archibald, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 2026
But new research suggests that our forbears had more varied and cosmopolitan tastes, centuries before the Guide Michelin.
—Scott Simon, NPR, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forebear
John Devore, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
That was how so many of their forebears settled here, having survived slavery and Jim Crow, working land some of the families own to this day.
—Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2026
McNair spoke, unsuccessfully, before an Alabama Legislature that wanted to limit how schools teach events, such as the bombing that killed her sister, lest White children feel guilt for the sins of their forebears.
—John Archibald, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 2026
But new research suggests that our forbears had more varied and cosmopolitan tastes, centuries before the Guide Michelin.
—Scott Simon, NPR, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forebear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forebear
Noun
-
Norman Wong, a descendant of Wong Kim Ark, poses for a portrait in front of a mural of his late ancestor, in San Francisco.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The Northern Cheyenne chief Little Wolf exemplified this resolve in the 1860s and ’70s, leading his people in many different battles to defend the North Country of his ancestors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
And while the circumstances of his birth may have been historic, Phillips’ education was traditional for the family, following in the footsteps of his uncle Charles and grandfather, Prince Philip, and cutting his teeth at Gordonstoun School in Scotland.—
Stephanie Bridger-Linning,
Vanity Fair,
2 Apr. 2026
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But Koehnemann also learned from his grandfather Ryne Sandberg, a Chicago Cubs legend and 2005 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee who died in Lake Bluff on July 28, 2025.—
Steve Reaven,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Mohamad Faisal, one of Shah Alam's children, previously told Reuters that his father's arrest about a year ago was due to a misunderstanding with police officers.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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Her father was seated on a chair with one foot tucked under him, and her mother was sitting on the sofa with both feet curled under her.—
Jacobina Martin,
Washington Post,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forebear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forebear. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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