1
as in dad
a male human parent
the special relationship that exists between fathers and sons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in founder
a person who establishes a whole new field of endeavor
Sir Isaac Newton is regarded by many as the father of modern science
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in grandfather
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent
our fathers founded this nation on the fundamental belief that no person is entitled to rule by divine right
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in Lord
capitalized
the being worshipped as the creator and ruler of the universe
let us ask humbly for the blessings of our Father in heaven
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of father
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2026
Hawke performs stunts as well in The Weight, including one terrifying sequence in which Hawke's Samuel, a father on a quest to save his daughter, must cross an icy river.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
Greg Evans, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
Crowe believes that Maximus fathering a son with a woman other than his wife tarnishes his character's legacy, as the gladiator's primary motivation in the original film is to avenge the deaths of his wife and son.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for father
Noun
Koffi, a young Ivorian trumpeter, arrives in Montréal with nothing but the legacy of his father to guide him.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 28 Jan. 2026
Hawke performs stunts as well in The Weight, including one terrifying sequence in which Hawke's Samuel, a father on a quest to save his daughter, must cross an icy river.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Jan. 2026
Verb
Her first appearance on the Norman Lear classic was as Marilyn Sanders, a woman who shows up, young child in tow, on the Bunker family’s doorstop claiming that the little boy was fathered by Gloria’s husband Mike Stivic (Rob Reiner).
—Greg Evans, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026
Crowe believes that Maximus fathering a son with a woman other than his wife tarnishes his character's legacy, as the gladiator's primary motivation in the original film is to avenge the deaths of his wife and son.
—Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for father
Recent Examples of Synonyms for father
Noun
-
Even better, however, were some smaller numbers that went his way Saturday when the Mustangs hosted Oswego East, where his dad Terrell is a sophomore coach and varsity assistant.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
-
Interestingly the pool scene, where Kevin loses his dad’s massive swim trunks while bombing in the pool, was filmed at the Four Seasons Chicago – the Plaza Hotel doesn’t have an indoor pool.—
Adam Turner,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Every day the co-founder of YourChoice Therapeutics arrives at his startup’s office in San Francisco to do this work.—
Ana Castelain,
Bloomberg,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Star Parker is founder of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Her grandfather, Ub, was a legendary animator instrumental in the development of Mickey Mouse.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
-
King grew up at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where his father and grandfather served as pastors, and his mother played the organ.—
Daniel Wilkerson,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Conspiracists have long speculated about if and how Hitler might live on: using a pseudonym in Argentina, huddling in a bunker under the Antarctic ice, or secretly siring offspring.—
Rosemary Counter,
Vanity Fair,
19 Jan. 2026
-
Kiko sired two calves, with a third due early this year.—
Erin Clements,
PEOPLE,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
My daughter does not know her daddy is half Black.—
Davon Loeb,
Parents,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Also on Hurzeler’s bench against Bournemouth were cover goalkeeper Jason Steele (35) and the daddy of them all, 40-year-old James Milner.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Vacuum Bags for Travel TikTok creators swear by vacuum-seal bags for squeezing more clothing into a carry-on.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Jan. 2026
-
That’s the pithy one-liner that menswear creator Elliot Duprey’s followers will sometimes parrot back to him on the streets of New York, after recognizing him from his videos.—
Ashley Ogawa Clarke,
Vogue,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There’s an urge to reconnect with our heritage, and people are undertaking ancestry pilgrimages, combining boots-on-the-ground investigation into family trees and searching for documents in town halls, with discovering the places our ancestors used to call home.—
Alex Ledsom,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
-
So much of these online spaces, social media in particular, are created for community; inside of them, the primary medium is storytelling, and often the same stories are repeated or mimicked, recreating the oral storytelling tradition of our ancestors.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Photos of Macron in his statement shades went viral, spawning countless memes and comments with references to ‘80s films such as Top Gun, Cobra, and Terminator.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
23 Jan. 2026
-
The arXiv, as the server came to be called, grew quickly, and spawned sister sites in other disciplines.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Father.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/father. Accessed 29 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
