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 culmination of the event saw people filtering into the shore to create a circle of colorful surfboards dotted with flowers to toss into the ocean to honor ancestors, invoke healing and celebrate the relationship between Black people and the ocean.
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Gabrielle Gillette,
Mercury News,
23 June 2026
The genetic profile was then uploaded to a database, revealing his ancestors, siblings and surviving family members.
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Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
Consider researching your ancestors' names.
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Parents,
21 June 2026
Organizers said the event also served as a chance to honor the ancestors and generations whose sacrifices made today's freedoms possible.
—
Kennedy Cook,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Gabrielle Gillette,
Mercury News,
23 June 2026
The genetic profile was then uploaded to a database, revealing his ancestors, siblings and surviving family members.
—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
22 June 2026
Consider researching your ancestors' names.
—
Parents,
21 June 2026
Organizers said the event also served as a chance to honor the ancestors and generations whose sacrifices made today's freedoms possible.
—
Kennedy Cook,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor
Noun
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Goodhouse recalled stories his grandfather would tell him of their ancestors who were in the Hunkpapa camp when troops attacked.
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For Rohrman, whose family business made its name in the Chicago area with his late grandfather’s low–budget TV commercials, listing his autos on Amazon may be the sales pitch of the future.
Noun
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The group, which includes Chrysler, Fiat, Peugeot and Citroen, is becoming a forerunner in the promising progress of a new type of vehicle battery.
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In 2007, the Oatley family opened Qualia, their 30-acre flagship property and the forerunner of Australia’s luxury lodges.
Noun
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Doherty's father, uncle, cousin and other family members are buried at the cemetery in Newton, Massachusetts.
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The father, Marquise Anderson, said Joanna wet the bed on two occasions on a night in February at the house in the 1900 block of Daniel Street.
Noun
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Sea surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean have topped daily warm records for more than 20 days in June, a precursor to what many scientists expect to be one of the strongest El Niño events on record.
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Today, financial independence is often about knowledge—and career opportunity—as a precursor to power.
Noun
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The film, based on Thomas Perry’s novel Strip, wears its influences — ranging from Elmore Leonard to Carl Hiaasen to Quentin Tarantino — heavily, without the genuine wit of many of its predecessors.
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During more than 50 years as a member of the EU and its predecessors, many British businesses also came to rely on Europe as a source of cheap labor, especially after the bloc’s eastward expansion in 2004.
Noun
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Future projects will also depend on successful prototype testing, regulatory approvals, construction milestones, and definitive customer agreements before any revenue-generating power plants come online.
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Musk has sought for more than a decade to get the public comfortable with SpaceX’s approach to rocket development, which emphasizes testing cheap prototypes in flight and embracing the occasional mishap rather than trying to guarantee perfection.
Cite this Entry
“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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