HOLY GRAIL Synonyms: 37 Similar and Opposite Words

holy grail

noun

Definition of holy grail

as in plan

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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 holy grail Matsson grew up with America, and American music, as the holy grail — the folk and blues icons like Dylan and James, the punk bands, the counterculture. — Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2026 Interesting Engineering has extensively reported on the different approaches to building quantum computers and how research institutes and startups are both pursuing the same holy grail. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026 Plus, secure my holy grail K-beauty skin care device and $10 at-home manicure hack. — Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 5 Sep. 2026 This one is a nice pick for yourself or someone else who wants to try a handful of trending beauty brands to find their new holy grail products. — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 31 Aug. 2026 Navigating a changing climate, Marian develops interspecies alliances on a quest for the holy grail. — Kelly Presutti, ARTnews.com, 28 Aug. 2026 Instead, volumizing mascara lovers may just have found their new holy grail, particularly those who want volume without clumping. — Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 28 Aug. 2026 Scientists are now eyeing other hearing-loss targets, including the holy grail — the GJB2 gene. — O. Rose Broderick, STAT, 11 Aug. 2026 This is the technology that is considered the holy grail for the next era. — Paxton Honerkamp, CNBC, 5 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for holy grail

Noun

The plan is to find candidates from families that renounced their royal status in 1947, which at the time was to ease the postwar financial burden on the monarchy.

— Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 24 Oct. 2026
Swift's childhood was tailor-made for a Hallmark movie—but the future pop star already had other plans.

— Ilaria Perrotta, Vanity Fair, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of plan

Noun

The society granted that biomarkers can define diseases, as with certain cancers, before symptoms appear, but only when their meaning is sufficiently well understood.

— Manvir Singh, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
There are various families of bodies in the outer solar system, and 3I/ATLAS’ spectrum bears a resemblance to the spectrum of some medium-sized TNOs that are rich in carbon-dioxide ice and organic compounds (organic meaning containing carbon atoms).

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of meaning

Noun

Its new five-year archaeological blueprint for 2026–2030 combines ambitious technological plans with an equally significant cultural objective, which is to strengthen China’s influence over how its history is understood around the world.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 1 Nov. 2026
But even if reducing property taxes is the right objective, Amendment 3 is too much, too fast.

— Gilbert Miller, The Orlando Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of objective

Noun

When a developer pushes code, Pando stores the incoming Git packfile in cloud object storage.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
Most recently, the telescope was instrumental in documenting comet 3I/ATLAS, the third interstellar object ever detected passing through the solar system.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of object

Noun

North Korea’s Missile Administration said its cluster warheads fall into four categories, depending on their intended purpose.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 3 Nov. 2026
The flashback structure doesn’t serve much of a purpose except to delay the audience’s complete endorsement of a character who, though appropriately cantankerous, is unambiguously a hero and nice guy.

— Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of purpose

Noun

More than half of the DOGE firing targets were Black, the Post found, while nearly one-third were white, 13% were Asian, and 8% were Hispanic.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026
Its target lay thousands of miles away in northwestern Russia.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of target

Noun

Many in Serbia believe that the concrete canopy crashed because of flawed renovation work caused by corruption and negligence that prevailed in major state infrastructure projects championed by Vucic's government.

— MARKO DROBNJAKOVIC, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
The project signals Meta’s growing interest in humanoid hardware, but questions remain about the robots’ ability to perform complex household tasks and operate safely around people.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 2 Nov. 2026

Definition of project

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holy days

holy grail

holy grails

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“Holy grail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/holy%20grail. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of holy grail

noun

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