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
Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 19 Feb. 2026
But hydrogen leaks were detected during an initial wet dress rehearsal countdown.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 19 Feb. 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 study provides some initial evidence that lemon water may affect digestion.
—Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 19 Feb. 2026
But hydrogen leaks were detected during an initial wet dress rehearsal countdown.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 19 Feb. 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
-
But midway through the first, Nayeli Thayer (two assists) found Cataruzolo for a shot at the right post and a 2-0 lead on the rebound after Metzler stuffed the first bid.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
18 Feb. 2026
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During this more recent round of Epstein disclosures, Larry Summers, the former president of Harvard University and Treasury secretary in the Clinton administration, was among the first business leaders to experience professional blowback.—
Matt Egan,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Now, those who swear by the zodiac have the chance to wear their cosmic sign on their wrists, in the form of 18k white gold or 18k yellow gold bracelets.—
Micaela English,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Feb. 2026
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Corruption – Governor Abbott has put a for sale sign on Texas.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Now a Westin now, the property includes a modern tower, upping the original room count of 75 to 791.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 Feb. 2026
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The scientists returned in 2019 and located the original site using drones and GPS.—
Matthew Glasser,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Exile is what the ex-Hasid experiences when, in response to her secular beliefs, she is expelled from her ultra-Orthodox community and thrown into a new environment that speaks in a different language, uses a different currency, and endorses a different worldview.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Preckwinkle declined to endorse Johnson for another mayoral term.—
A.D. Quig,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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All of this was capped off by her Rose team capturing the inaugural Unrivaled championship.—
D’Joumbarey Moreau,
Miami Herald,
19 Feb. 2026
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The issue began earlier this week with the inaugural Frame Forward AI Animated Film Festival announcing Igor Alferov’s short film Thanksgiving Day had won the contest.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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He’s best known for co-authoring the Great Barrington Declaration, an open letter published two months prior to Covid-19 vaccines being available that opposed certain Covid-19 mitigations.—
Jen Christensen,
CNN Money,
18 Feb. 2026
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This aligned with ideas in the book that Engels was co-authoring with his associate, Karl Marx.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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His first play, 'The Gaffer', premiered at the Underbelly Theatre as part of the Edinburgh Fringe in 2023, and he was signed by the Greyhound Literary Agency in Bloomsbury in 2024 for his debut novel.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Feb. 2026
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As her boys crashed around her, Meyers Taylor signed to them.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Italy finished its maiden World Cup appearance with plaudits after stunning Nepal and losing to England narrowly, Scotland and the West Indies.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2026
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Plutarch lost his first four starts, including three in stakes races, before winning a maiden race on the final day of Del Mar’s fall meeting.—
Jay Posner,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Initial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/initial. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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