number one

adjective

variants also No. 1
Definition of number onenext
1
as in main
coming before all others in importance considers international terrorism to be the number one threat to national security

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in excellent
of the very best kind the company's chocolate is rated as number one by serious chocoholics

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 number one Talked about number one in the country a year ago and some of our championships. — Tom Green | [email protected], al, 15 Mar. 2023 And North Carolina, last year's runner up and this year's preseason number one, missed out entirely. — Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2023 Depositors and workers in the companies whose deposits are in that bank need to be job number one. — CBS News, 12 Mar. 2023 The number one priority in those situations is the health of the player. — Dalton Ross, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2023 See All Example Sentences for number one
Recent Examples of Synonyms for number one
  1. main
  2. excellent
  3. primary
  4. great
  5. predominant
  6. wonderful
  7. foremost
  8. terrific
Adjective
  • But Gold Phoenix was inside both his main rivals and might have saved just enough ground to make the difference.
    — Bill Center, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 July 2026
  • Kevin Knight, Ospreay Attacks The Death Riders Kevin Knight received little-to-no reaction for his entrance, but that’s to be expected as a young star in his first pay-per-view main event.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
Definition of main
Adjective
  • Edoya, where brushes have been made by hand since 1718, is around the corner, and Nexpect, an excellent specialty coffee shop, is a short walk away.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026
  • Namely stage 13 when the race split into pieces, Tom Pidcock climbed back up the GC, Pedersen had to make a desperate attempt to reach Philipsen up the road to defend green, and the excellent Mauro Schmid got the victory his talent deserves.
    — Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 27 July 2026
Definition of excellent
Adjective
  • If diversification were really the primary reason to own private equity, more capital would already be there for that reason alone.
    — Carrie McCabe, Forbes.com, 28 July 2026
  • The address of the shooting is listed as the primary residence for Elijah Bieniemy, according to online property records.
    — Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 28 July 2026
Definition of primary
Adjective
  • Important settlements have existed here since the Roman times, when it was described by the writer Ausonius as one of Gaul’s great educational centers.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 26 July 2026
  • Getty Images Errol Spence had a great career, but at 36 years old and after three years out of the ring, the former world champion has hit his ceiling in boxing.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of great
Adjective
  • While summer is still the predominant season, the average acreage burned in winter, spring and fall have all increased too, according to the analysis.
    — Ignacio Calderon, USA Today, 16 July 2026
  • Repeated, large fires have caused a decline in the predominant species of conifers, the black spruce, shifting what vegetation regrows.
    — Joshua Partlow, The Atlantic, 16 July 2026
Definition of predominant
Adjective
  • And this World Cup was about Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and all of Spain’s wonderful passers.
    — Michael Cox, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • To be in, like, the very first episode to the last, a show that is now being spun off to other stories, that is so wonderful.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 22 July 2026
Definition of wonderful
Adjective
  • The executions have drawn attention to the ageing death-row population in the US, as well as Florida’s status as the foremost death penalty state.
    — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 16 July 2026
  • Among the most significant was the signing of a Letter of Intent between the Bharat Tex Trade Federation (BTTF) and Première Vision Paris, one of the world’s foremost textile and fashion sourcing platforms.
    — Mayu Saini, Footwear News, 15 July 2026
Definition of foremost
Adjective
  • McKinney missed eight games in 2022 after an ATV accident in Cabo during the team's bye week, then rebounded with a terrific 2023 season.
    — Rob Reischel, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • The base configuration is powered by an Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX processor that’s terrific for 3D renders, heavy multitasking, and—of course—pushing refresh rates forward in your heavy-duty gaming.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 23 July 2026
Definition of terrific

Browse Nearby Words

numberless
number one
numbers
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Number one.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/number%20one. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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