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
For thousands of years, families in China have celebrated Qingming after the spring equinox, cleaning and decorating their ancestor’s graves and offering plates of sweet dumplings.
—
Rocío Muñoz-Ledo, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
His ancestors were the original owners of Nantucket island.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2025
So this toast is for the ancestors, those brave souls who wouldn’t settle for what was handed to them.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025
No one today is a slave or a slave-owner, but California would treat its diverse residents as such based on the identity of their ancestors.
—Andrew Quinio, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Rocío Muñoz-Ledo, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
His ancestors were the original owners of Nantucket island.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2025
So this toast is for the ancestors, those brave souls who wouldn’t settle for what was handed to them.
—Kristen Tauer, Footwear News, 31 Oct. 2025
No one today is a slave or a slave-owner, but California would treat its diverse residents as such based on the identity of their ancestors.
—Andrew Quinio, Oc Register, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor
Noun
-
El Camello says his grandfather always had cars.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Named after his grandfather, the late master distiller Booker Noe, this blended whiskey changes with every release, and often highlights some very unusual components (bourbon made from brown rice, for example).—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Perfected by forerunners such as Fiona Apple and Alanis Morissette, this fall has already seen two music stars gift us with lay-it-all-out-there lyrics.—
Dan Heching,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
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The Park cinema launched under the ownership of Cineplex Odeon Cinemas, a forerunner of Cineplex and today an operator of multiplexes and out of home destinations.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In a social media video, Madi said her father's health declined in the months following an early-stage prostate cancer diagnosis.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The introduction was from my father, who was a friend of his in another lifetime.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Nya Lödöse was an important precursor to modern-day Gothenburg, located in the city’s eastern part between 1473 and 1624.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Nov. 2025
-
Bogle introduced the first index fund for everyday investors, a precursor to the Vanguard 500.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Brazil’s President Lula da Silva Host nation Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, affectionately known as Lula, has used his second term as president to push ahead with climate action and slow the deforestation that grew to alarming rates under his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
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The issue was reminiscent of a major flaw in the optics of Webb's predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, which was shown to be noticeably near-sighted after reaching orbit in 1990.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Previous Chinese efforts in deep-sea mining were primarily limited to theoretical studies and lab-scale prototypes.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Nov. 2025
-
The prototype — designed, like the Miura, by Gandini — first appeared at the 1971 Geneva Motor Show, an impossible doorstop of a spaceship with a roofline that barely came up to the waists of the go-go-boot-wearing models who posed alongside it.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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