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
Pabian reflected on learning Lunar New Year traditions as a child in a small apartment off Buford Highway, where family members gathered to honor ancestors in private.
—
Alexa Liacko, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
An awareness of absent ancestors prickles through her writing, but at the same time, her fictional worlds feel solid and present.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Ancestry continues to provide hints about older ancestors, giving you the ability to dig even deeper into your family history.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
The Lunar New Year is celebrated across Asia and in the United States with parades, carnivals, fireworks and the remembrance of ancestors.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Alexa Liacko, CBS News, 17 Feb. 2026
An awareness of absent ancestors prickles through her writing, but at the same time, her fictional worlds feel solid and present.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2026
Ancestry continues to provide hints about older ancestors, giving you the ability to dig even deeper into your family history.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
The Lunar New Year is celebrated across Asia and in the United States with parades, carnivals, fireworks and the remembrance of ancestors.
—Julia Gomez, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor
Noun
-
Angel Hernandez, Trinidad’s husband and the children’s grandfather, was airlifted to the hospital with serious injuries.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
18 Feb. 2026
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After her grandmother shared a secret before her death — that her grandfather had another lover — Kana unexpectedly reconnects with an old love, Hiro.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Sheila Bridges also comes to mind as such a forerunner for our community, embracing the beauty of our heritage and culture.—
Ashley Chalmers,
The Spruce,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The forerunner of British Invasion took the summit of American entertainment, which was a huge deal across generations.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But while Gu hailed from a wealthy family that spent time in both the US and China, Liu’s father fled China after helping to lead the Tiananmen democracy protests, which China’s Communist Party cracked down on brutally.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
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Osmond, her siblings, and her father were what scientists call natural short sleepers.—
Shayla Love,
New Yorker,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Commercial prediction markets have resisted efforts by states to classify and regulate them as gambling companies, insisting that they — like their precursor in Iowa — should be overseen by federal regulators.—
Suzy Khimm,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
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There’s a direct line from Licklider’s work to ARPANET, a precursor to the internet and World Wide Web, through the work of Robert Taylor, Doug Engelbart, Ted Nelson, and Tim Berners-Lee.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
These unheralded accomplishments reflect why Robert Isom was picked as the successor to his legendary predecessor, Doug Parker, in the first place.—
Jeffrey Sonnenfeld,
Fortune,
16 Feb. 2026
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His arm, which has ranged from average to below average over the last four seasons, may represent the largest dropoff from his predecessor (Gold Glover Adolis García) at the position.—
Shawn McFarland,
Dallas Morning News,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Early prototypes of the glasses connect via a cable to a standalone battery pack and an iPhone, but newer versions have the components embedded in the frame.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Backed by grants from the Space Studies Institute, later prototypes improved on the concept, showing that a mass driver only 520 feet (160 meters) long could boost material off the lunar surface.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
18 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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