as in first
coming before all others in time or order
you've resolved my initial complaint, but now I have a new question
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of initial
Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Jan. 2026
As is the case with most new doctors at Grey Sloan, there is a possibility for Landon to do more episodes beyond the initial four, sources said.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2026
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 19 Aug. 2025
One ballot was tossed out because it wasn’t initialed by an election judge, and Balich won the position via a lottery.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for initial
Adjective
This will play out over the next two years, with February’s event representing an initial first step.
—Steph Koyfman, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Jan. 2026
As is the case with most new doctors at Grey Sloan, there is a possibility for Landon to do more episodes beyond the initial four, sources said.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
The documents largely amount to a memorandum of understanding, with the two countries’ foreign ministers initialling a peace agreement, and Aliyev and Pashinyan signing a joint declaration to pursue a lasting peace.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 19 Aug. 2025
One ballot was tossed out because it wasn’t initialed by an election judge, and Balich won the position via a lottery.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for initial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for initial
Adjective
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If approved for the public safety role, Williams would be Pittsburgh's first Black director of the department.—
Chilekasi Adele,
CBS News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Johnson was around in 2013 when Dave Gettleman took defensive tackles Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short in the first and second rounds, respectively, in Gettleman’s first draft as Carolina’s GM.—
Joseph Person,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Others involved in the protest were arrested last week, though a magistrate judge at the time refused to sign on to the initial charges for Lemon.—
Alex Weprin,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
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There’s a sign on the door asking customers to be patient.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Oh-My-God particle first interacted with an atomic nucleus in the upper atmosphere, producing a series of daughter particles that each maintain a fraction of the original particle’s momentum, which then collide with greater and greater numbers of particles, and so on.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
30 Jan. 2026
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The show, clearly meant to be an appealing first exposure for K-pop outsiders, selects Top 40 hits from across the decades and pairs the original artists up with Korean idols, who transform them in ways meant to resemble the K-pop formula.—
Sheldon Pearce,
NPR,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The app will bring to the fore true voices endorsed by the fanbases.—
Tim Spiers,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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Rogan, who has increasingly broken with Trump in recent months after endorsing his 2024 campaign, refrained from explicitly criticizing the president or the Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday’s episode.—
Conor Murray,
Forbes.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The Perspectives section was launched last year, at the inaugural edition of artistic director Tricia Tuttle, who joined the Berlinale after a decade spent at the BFI London Film Festival.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2026
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The 2023 lineup included Maroon 5 and Walker Hayes, while the inaugural Concert in the Coliseum in 2022 was headlined by Thomas Rhett and Old Dominion.—
Ed Masley,
AZCentral.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Wicks authored the bipartisan California Journalism Preservation Act, Assembly Bill 866, which passed the Assembly but stalled in the state Senate under heavy lobbying from big tech companies.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2026
-
The study was co-authored by doctoral student Hassna Bantan and Professor Yasuda.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
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After playing in a second-tier Canadian junior league, the younger Ward spent four years at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, then signed a series of minor-league and two-way deals after going undrafted.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
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Along with Tucker, the Dodgers signed three-time All-Star closer Edwin Díaz to a three-year, $69 million deal to shore up the backend of their bullpen.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
While the next Neutron stage is being readied for its maiden flight, its Hungry Hippo fairing is undergoing post-delivery inspections ahead of transportation to MARS's Rocket Lab Launch Copmlex-3 (LC-3) for further tests.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
28 Jan. 2026
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There’s no doubt the learning curve will be steep this season, so does Pérez believe points or even a podium is realistic for the team’s maiden voyage?—
Aleks Klosok,
CNN Money,
26 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Initial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/initial. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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