1
as in grandfather
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent
Bridie's Irish ancestors immigrated to the United States in the 19th century during the Great Potato Famine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in forerunner
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
pinball machines—the ancestors of today's video games—go back to the 19th century
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ancestor
The stars are our ancestors, but the spiders are too.
—
Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
The find provides the first direct fossil evidence that early mammal ancestors laid eggs.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026
For our ancestors, that twinkling ball would have been completely dark.
—Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026
His ancestors moved from Mexico City into Chihuahua and then farther north to New Mexico, where his grandfather was born and raised.
—Abbey Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
The find provides the first direct fossil evidence that early mammal ancestors laid eggs.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026
For our ancestors, that twinkling ball would have been completely dark.
—Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026
His ancestors moved from Mexico City into Chihuahua and then farther north to New Mexico, where his grandfather was born and raised.
—Abbey Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor
Noun
-
He was born and raised in central Pennsylvania where his father and grandfather taught him to hunt and fish.—
Derek Horner,
Outdoor Life,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Her penchant for shirting is, by all accounts, a natural one, passed down by her father and grandfather—both bespoke tailors who instilled in her an exacting eye for quality and execution.—
Talia Abbas,
Vogue,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Williams had managed traditional Tex-Mex restaurants that were the forerunner of today’s Mercado Juarez Cafes.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The camp is a program of the Woodcraft Rangers, founded by author and naturalist Ernest Thompson Seton, whose pioneering Woodcraft Rangers program was a forerunner to groups such as the Boy Scouts.—
Jessie Dax-Setkus,
Oc Register,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Neither could Kendall, who had spent happy teenage years there with his father, stepmother, and brothers—and was still launching his boat from a dock on the property to work his oyster beds.—
Jennifer Stewart Kornegay,
Southern Living,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Augustine, a bishop in the late fourth and early fifth centuries, is the spiritual father of the Augustinian order of which the pontiff is a member and former leader.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The rise coincides with a recent crackdown by the Chinese government on the sale of precursors used to make fentanyl.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
-
Mobileye essentially pioneered cameras on cars, creating features such as lane-keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control, precursors to cars driving themselves.—
Chris Anderson,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The company said the pipe was installed by a predecessor utility company and was made of a material used only in 1970 and 1971.—
Brian New,
CBS News,
20 Apr. 2026
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Its predecessor, BlueBird 6, launched on an Indian LVM3 rocket last December.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The site, Chick-fil-A Runway 35 South, will be Colorado’s first drive-thru-only Chick-fil-A prototype designed for speed and efficiency.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2026
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Arvell Reese is the prototype and a dream, but adding him is just that for the Bengals.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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