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
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Recent Examples of prime
Reid Bg, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
The infamous gangster, who had set up shop in Cicero, quickly became a prime suspect but initially was nowhere to be found.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
Berries that are shriveled, soft, or visibly mushy are likely past their prime and won’t be appetizing.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 30 Apr. 2026
Matt Fuchs, Scientific American, 15 Apr. 2026
Downtown Los Angeles residents, businesses and other city boosters want to try to prime the pump, using a program like San Francisco’s to help small businesses take over vacant storefronts and turn the lights back on, said Cassy Horton, co-founder of the Downtown Residents Assn.
—Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prime
Adjective
Entering 2026, Jump Source were in prime position to connect the dots between North America’s niche club music scenes and the mainstream.
—Reid Bg, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
The infamous gangster, who had set up shop in Cicero, quickly became a prime suspect but initially was nowhere to be found.
—Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
Noun
Keeping the soil moist, but not overflowing, is the best way to keep your fern in its prime.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 1 May 2026
Berries that are shriveled, soft, or visibly mushy are likely past their prime and won’t be appetizing.
—Jillian Kubala, Health, 30 Apr. 2026
Verb
Research shows these early exposures prime the immune system to recognize outside invaders for life.
—Matt Fuchs, Scientific American, 15 Apr. 2026
Downtown Los Angeles residents, businesses and other city boosters want to try to prime the pump, using a program like San Francisco’s to help small businesses take over vacant storefronts and turn the lights back on, said Cassy Horton, co-founder of the Downtown Residents Assn.
—Roger Vincent, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prime
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prime
Adjective
-
Also in attendance were NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, Advanced Micro Devices CEO Lisa Su, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, and Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Google.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Beauty as chief financial officer at just 35, Mandy Fields knows a little something about defying limits.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Soft white sand, clear waters and excellent surf draw beachgoers to this vast beach.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2026
-
This makes buffalo grass an excellent choice for naturally controlling soil erosion.—
Lee Wallender,
The Spruce,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Wildflowers line the roads during summer, and there's no hiking needed to enjoy the colorful blooms.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
3 May 2026
-
When in bloom, the tree is adorned with fragrant white flowers that can fill a patio with their delightful scent.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Test your knowledge of baseball bests, restaurant revamps and more in this week's American Culture Quiz.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
1 May 2026
-
Then the speakers’ exhortations to excellence would build in emotional intensity until women began to weep and the meeting erupted in spontaneous pledges to set new personal bests.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
An engine defect grounded dozens of its planes.—
Leslie Josephs,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
-
But Schultz got the next batter, Miguel Andujar, to ground into an inning-ending double play.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
After Marcus’s ground ball, everybody took great at-bats.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Cherry blossoms great guests at the front foyer.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Remove spent blooms to encourage continuous blooming.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
27 Apr. 2026
-
To encourage continuous blooming, prune it back right after the first major flush of flowers fades, which usually occurs in early to mid-summer.—
SJ McShane,
Martha Stewart,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Georgia Tech football might have found its next elite running back just 25 miles north of Bobby Dodd Stadium.—
Jack Leo,
AJC.com,
1 May 2026
-
There were ups and downs through the race’s first few decades, but always a consistent effort to get elites— women included—to the track.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prime.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prime. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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