forward 1 of 3

Definition of forwardnext
1
as in forwards
toward or at a point lying in advance in space or time if you keep walking forward, you'll hit that wall

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in onward
toward a point ahead in space or time from this day forward, our two nations will live in peace and harmony

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

forward

2 of 3

adjective

1
2
as in front
being at or in the forward part or surface of something the ship's forward deck

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
4

forward

3 of 3

verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb forward contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of forward are advance, further, and promote. While all these words mean "to help (someone or something) to move ahead," forward implies an impetus forcing something ahead.

a wage increase would forward productivity

Where would advance be a reasonable alternative to forward?

The words advance and forward are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, advance stresses effective assisting in hastening a process or bringing about a desired end.

advance the cause of peace

When is further a more appropriate choice than forward?

While the synonyms further and forward are close in meaning, further suggests a removing of obstacles in the way of a desired advance.

used the marriage to further his career

When could promote be used to replace forward?

While in some cases nearly identical to forward, promote suggests an encouraging or fostering and may denote an increase in status or rank.

a campaign to promote better health

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 forward
Adverb
Where everything surrounding it is pushing it forward. Chris Vannini, New York Times, 4 May 2026 In the fifth season of a contract extension paying him $15 million a year, Buxton moves forward. John Shipley, Twin Cities, 4 May 2026
Adjective
Officials follow their forward guidance to help keep markets stable, make monetary policy more effective and influence financial conditions. Bryan Mena, CNN Money, 1 May 2026 So moving Stankoven to the middle in training camp certainly raised the eyebrows of many, especially considering Carolina has several other smallish players among its forward corps. Cory Lavalette, New York Times, 1 May 2026
Verb
The commission forwarded six recommendations to the council last year, including acknowledging anti-MAPA discrimination, affirming free speech and developing anti-bias training in coordination with UC Davis and the Davis Joint Unified School District. Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 29 Apr. 2026 City Attorney Heather Ferbert told ProPublica her office has forwarded these cases to the FBI and warned residents to be on the lookout for advertisements that promise a government official or lawyer can help with immigration proceedings. Naisha Roy, ProPublica, 29 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for forward
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forward
Adverb
  • Brossoit made 34 saves in Game 1, where forwards Huntington, Kasper Halttunen, Colin White, and Igor Chernyshov all scored for San Jose before forward Trevor Connelly scored 38 seconds into overtime to give Henderson the win.
    Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 25 Apr. 2026
  • The series used multiple timelines, showing stories that took place in the present as well as flashbacks to the siblings' childhood and flash-forwards to later years.
    Staff Author, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
Adverb
  • But no fewer than nine of those came from 80 minutes onwards — and five of them were in stoppage time.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 1 May 2026
  • Consumer neuroscience has increasingly played a role in consumer behavior analysis from the 2000s onward.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez is a lead contender to replace Morales, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
    Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
  • This takes the Hylian magic of Nintendo’s long-running RPG game and brings it to the modern gamer in ways both familiar and unique.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Following a conservative first half when LAFC got nothing going offensively but didn’t give up much on the other end either, the Black & Gold carried a front-foot approach out of the locker room after the break.
    Josh Gross, Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
  • Unfortunately, that means the only place Bruccoleri can rehearse is in a tent on the front lawn.
    Emily Zemler, Los Angeles Times, 30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Be cautious of any company that pushes a specific program without understanding your circumstances.
    Rebecca Safier, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Visitors should be cautious about going into a sea cave without a guide, as a swell can flow into it and dramatically raise the water level in a matter of seconds, pushing kayaks into rocks and leaving little air for those trapped inside.
    Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Officials also encourage businesses to give customers a glimpse of how dim sum is made through live-streaming.
    Chris Lau, CNN Money, 1 May 2026
  • Becerra proposes to require cities and counties to approve or deny building permits within 90 days, loosening certain regulations for infill projects and reforming construction defect laws to encourage more construction of entry-level condos.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 May 2026
Adverb
  • The anti-vaccine rhetoric, and the efforts to revise laws and regulations, rumbled along at the state health department, and in the legislature.
    Kerry Sheridan, NPR, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Experts have noted that handbag placement can cue royal protection teams to move a principal along, adjust spacing or wrap up an appearance, all without creating a scene.
    Terry Moseley, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026
Adverb
  • In Florida alone, he was transferred more than a dozen times, going back and forth among detention centers in South Florida, Orlando and North Florida, including a stop at the controversial Everglades facility, Alligator Alcatraz.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
  • This final season has gone back and forth, introducing a virus that could kill all the supes and then destroying the Boys’ cache of it, then introducing a Vought formula that makes supes immortal and giving it to Homelander.
    Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Forward.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forward. Accessed 7 May. 2026.

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