1
as in initial
coming before all others in time or order
the much-studied first—and last—voyage of the Titanic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in main
coming before all others in importance
there are a number of reasons we can't go, but the first is that we don't have the money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in foremost
highest in rank or authority
auditioned and got first clarinet in the band
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in instead
as a substitute
eat peas? I'd eat cockroaches first
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in rather
by choice or preference
we will not give in, but will fight for our freedom first
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of first
Ellise Shafer, Variety, 24 May 2025
Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, called upon his subjects to search for the key to eternity in the 210’s B.C.
—Sean Kingsley, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2025
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 25 May 2025
The pair was first seen together in May 2023, following the model’s split from soccer star João Félix.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for first
Adjective
According to Screen, which was first to report news of the outage, the power also went down in several screening rooms, halting films midway through their showings, though the power in the Palais stayed on thanks to back-up generators.
—Ellise Shafer, Variety, 24 May 2025
Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, called upon his subjects to search for the key to eternity in the 210’s B.C.
—Sean Kingsley, HollywoodReporter, 24 May 2025
Adverb
Hang Him to the Scales, which goes on first at 6 p.m., is an Asian shoegaze act based in Brooklyn while Christine Tassanet et les Imposteurs, performing at 7 p.m., are purveyors of the jazz genre manouche.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 25 May 2025
The pair was first seen together in May 2023, following the model’s split from soccer star João Félix.
—Raven Brunner, People.com, 25 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for first
Recent Examples of Synonyms for first
Adjective
-
Biden's attorney jumped in to clarify that Hur's team had asked a speculative question that did not reflect Biden's initial answer.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
18 May 2025
-
Even in the conference finals against the Miami Heat two seasons ago, Boston won three games in a row to make up for their initial collapse.—
The Athletic NBA Staff,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
Adjective
-
Its main funders are the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW – and returning main partner ZDF Studios.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
19 May 2025
-
Two main issues are conveyed: No credible debt management approach exists.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders.—
Mark Morgan,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
-
Cruise emerged as Hollywood's foremost advocate for the theatrical experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, when theaters across the globe were staring down an uncertain future.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
22 May 2025
Adverb
-
The crypto exchange didn’t pay and is instead offering the same amount for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the hackers.—
Thomas Brewster,
Forbes.com,
20 May 2025
-
Godard has no script, working instead from a treatment by his comrade François Truffaut, and also from ideas that come to mind before and during shooting; whenever inspiration runs dry, production wraps for the day.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
20 May 2025
Adverb
-
In choosing that very name, however, the World War I Generation didn’t celebrate an American victory but rather celebrated the end of a traumatically destructive conflict.—
Michael Szalma,
The Orlando Sentinel,
25 May 2025
-
At its core, this recipe is a rather basic staple for a classic carrot cake, calling for a short-ish list of ingredients.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
25 May 2025
Adjective
-
The 23-year-old Cunningham, who made his inaugural All-Star appearance this year, posted career-best averages of 26.1 points (on .469/.356/.846 shooting splits), 9.1 assists, and 0.8 blocks across a career-most 70 healthy contests — plus 6.1 boards and 1.0 swipes a night.—
Alex Kirschenbaum,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 May 2025
-
The only transcript that is now available on the White House website is Trump’s inaugural address.—
Chad de Guzman,
Time,
23 May 2025
Adjective
-
Oscar Mayer’s sports-content maneuver comes under the aegis of Todd Kaplan, who joined Kraft Heinz as its chief marketing officer in July of 2024.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
20 May 2025
-
The nation’s chief health officer advocated letting a measles epidemic run its course, unimpeded by vaccinations.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
20 May 2025
Adverb
-
Boats are only allowed beyond those points, preferably to watch from the ocean, by taking a vessel out to nearby Zach’s Bay.—
Karu F. Daniels,
New York Daily News,
23 May 2025
-
Scarpa recommends picking a heat pump with the highest seasonal energy efficiency rating, preferably above 15.—
Khanh T.L. Tran,
USA Today,
20 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“First.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/first. Accessed 31 May. 2025.
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