1
as in chief
highest in rank or authority
the prime strategist in the senator's presidential campaign
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in excellent
of the very best kind
owns a thousand acres of prime farmland
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in bloom
a state or time of great activity, thriving, or achievement
in the prime of her life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in best
individuals carefully selected as being the best of a class
chose the prime of the litter of pups
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to ground
Related Words
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 prime
Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
Regular escape attempts are prime examples of this.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Mar. 2026
That's in line with the other VCM primes.
—Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 16 Mar. 2026
Katie Campione, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
Even mountaineering training guidance includes step-up exercises to help prime the glutes and quads for intense uphill climbs with a load on your back.
—Outside, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prime
Adjective
One of the prime objectives of NASA's Artemis program is to determine how humans can survive and thrive on the lunar surface.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2026
Regular escape attempts are prime examples of this.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Noun
Do a quick fridge cleanout, tossing anything that’s past its prime or unidentified, then take out the trash right away.
—Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Mar. 2026
That's in line with the other VCM primes.
—Jim Fisher, PC Magazine, 16 Mar. 2026
Verb
This is pretty expected, given that Deadline also hears the two groups have been communicating informally for several months to signal priorities and prime the pump ahead of time.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 13 Feb. 2026
Even mountaineering training guidance includes step-up exercises to help prime the glutes and quads for intense uphill climbs with a load on your back.
—Outside, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prime
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prime
Adjective
-
The law took effect in January 2024 and allows certain people — like family members, county or city attorneys and chief law enforcement officers — to file the petition, known as an extreme risk protection order.—
Caroline Cummings,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Manufacturing activity in March gathered momentum as factories rushed to resume production after an extended national holiday in mid-February, said Huo Lihui, chief statistician at NBS.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Horned Frogs had a mix of air raid and veer-and-shoot principles under Briles, but are expected to move more to a pro-style scheme under Sammis, who had excellent success with that style of offense at UConn.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
-
In the pre-show rooms, both real-life actors seen were excellent at interacting with real-life visitors and prerecorded monotone movie stars.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Stop by the hummingbird garden, where 14 species of petite, fairylike birds dart from plant to plant, sipping nectar from native blooms.—
Meghan Palmer,
Condé Nast Traveler,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Her Blossom Marble Bowl—carved from a single block of honeycomb or travertine marble in Rajasthan—is unfurled, like a flower caught in late bloom.—
Kathryn O’Shea-Evans,
Robb Report,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But Pickens wants a long-term deal, and 2025 brought lots of career-bests for him in a contract year.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
All these people in their Sunday best.—
Will Croxton,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Offseason acquisition Isaac Collins grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the threat.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
28 Mar. 2026
-
This industrial halt will be compounded by a global transportation freeze, as soaring jet and bunker fuel premiums ground commercial aviation and maritime shipping, effectively ending the era of low-cost, just-in-time logistics.—
Siddharth Misra,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But simply naming the great fear and sharing it with the millions of watchers in living rooms and hotels and airport lobbies was a trial almost too painful to contemplate.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
-
No substitutions for prize except by Sponsor, in which case a prize of equal or greater value will be substituted.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Shinobu Imoto from Kochi Meteorological Agency told TBS television that low rainfall during the winter and longer hours of sunshine might have helped the early blooming.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Mixing in a slow-release fertilizer will improve leaf color and blooming.—
Kerry Michaels,
The Spruce,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Then there was an urban-rural divide, the urban elite versus the rural majority in the country.—
John Shattuck,
The Conversation,
27 Mar. 2026
-
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, a darling of the Silicon Valley tech elite, polled at 3%.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prime.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prime. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
