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
Humans and bees split from a common ancestor more than 600 million years ago.
—
Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 11 Jan. 2026
Around 90% of them are Indigenous Inuit people whose ancestors arrived more than 1,000 years ago.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a national nonprofit women’s organization that focuses on patriotism and historical preservation, open to women ancestors of those who supported independence in the Revolutionary War.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Susanne Hammel-Sawyer grew up in Santa Barbara knowing nearly nothing about the traditions of her Chumash ancestors.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 11 Jan. 2026
Around 90% of them are Indigenous Inuit people whose ancestors arrived more than 1,000 years ago.
—Alexander Smith, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
The Daughters of the American Revolution is a national nonprofit women’s organization that focuses on patriotism and historical preservation, open to women ancestors of those who supported independence in the Revolutionary War.
—Maura Fox, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
Susanne Hammel-Sawyer grew up in Santa Barbara knowing nearly nothing about the traditions of her Chumash ancestors.
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor
Noun
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The gift is fitting, not just because Farley runs Ford, but his maternal grandfather, Emmet Tracy, was an early Ford employee who built Model T's.—
Jamie L. LaReau,
USA Today,
10 Jan. 2026
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In 1993, Tom and his wife, Cathy, welcomed a son, making Knotts a grandfather for the first time.—
Katie Mannion,
PEOPLE,
10 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Like these forerunners, the pleasures of Knight’s A Thousand Blows, which premiered all six episodes of its second season on Hulu Friday, lies in looking back on that thin sliver of time, about 15 years ago, when anachronistic old-timey crime was in vogue.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
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The League of Nations was the forerunner to the UN and is famous among historians for its formation after the wreckage of World War I and its almost immediate failure to prevent the rise of authoritarianism in the 1930s that gave way to World War II.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In the earliest Greek texts, Phoinix was also the father of Europa, who, in mythology, was a princess, raped and carried off by Zeus and brought to the island of Crete.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
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When Hodel died in 1999, Steve found a photo in his father’s belongings that appeared to be Short.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The vast majority of these deaths are caused by illicit fentanyl which experts report is typically synthesized in Mexico from precursor chemicals provided by Chinese operatives and brought into the United States via vehicles passing through official ports of entry.—
Charles LeBaron,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
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The Golden Globes are a great precursor to what is to come there.—
Noelle Lilley,
CBS News,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But under Maduro and his predecessor, Hugo Chávez, the country’s energy sector is in free-fall.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Jan. 2026
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Her predecessor, who is no relation, recruited her to run for council a decade ago.—
Mark Pazniokas,
Hartford Courant,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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However, orbital congestion is an increasing problem and could pose a serious challenge by the time prototype space solar satellites are flying in orbit by the late 2020s.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Jan. 2026
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But Pliyt's prototype, revealed at CES just days ago, aims to differentiate itself by turning introverts' dreams into reality.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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