1
as in grandfathers
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 forerunners
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ancestors
This hulking sedan still lacks the grace of its E3 and E23 ancestors, but the infusion of Neue Klasse details and other tweaks definitely help.
—
Stephen Edelstein, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
Canada’s new citizenship law, effective December, lets Americans with distant Canadian ancestors claim dual nationality—potentially affecting millions and overwhelming immigration lawyers on both sides of the border.
—Sarah Raza, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
The system that once saved people’s lives now makes many miserable over things that would have been unimaginable to their ancestors.
—Phil Starks, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2026
Since the discovery of the bacterial flagellar motor in the 1970s, biologists and creationists alike have marveled at its design like medieval architects staring with awe at the dome of the Pantheon built by their Roman ancestors.
—Quanta Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026
Lagomarsini also discovered material about her ancestors.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Five of her ancestors were forced to walk the Trail of Tears.
—Keith Sharon, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
Shamans in this group believe spirits of ancestors speak to them through the fire, telling them where to go hunting.
—Lucie Grace, TheWeek, 17 Apr. 2026
The Four Freedoms awards are presented in the New Church in Middelburg, in the province of Zeeland, where Roosevelt's ancestors hail from.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Stephen Edelstein, ArsTechnica, 23 Apr. 2026
Canada’s new citizenship law, effective December, lets Americans with distant Canadian ancestors claim dual nationality—potentially affecting millions and overwhelming immigration lawyers on both sides of the border.
—Sarah Raza, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
The system that once saved people’s lives now makes many miserable over things that would have been unimaginable to their ancestors.
—Phil Starks, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2026
Since the discovery of the bacterial flagellar motor in the 1970s, biologists and creationists alike have marveled at its design like medieval architects staring with awe at the dome of the Pantheon built by their Roman ancestors.
—Quanta Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026
Lagomarsini also discovered material about her ancestors.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Five of her ancestors were forced to walk the Trail of Tears.
—Keith Sharon, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2026
Shamans in this group believe spirits of ancestors speak to them through the fire, telling them where to go hunting.
—Lucie Grace, TheWeek, 17 Apr. 2026
The Four Freedoms awards are presented in the New Church in Middelburg, in the province of Zeeland, where Roosevelt's ancestors hail from.
—ABC News, 16 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestors
Noun
-
The captains were the fathers, or at least the grandfathers, of this genre.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Her grandfathers were military.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Even the Hammurabi Code, a set of laws created by the sixth Babylonian king in approximately 1760 bce, established forerunners of today’s interest rate and minimum wage laws.—
Chris Roush,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The Norwegian ended his season before the Olympics to further recover from a shoulder injury, but attended the finals as one of the forerunners, who test a course shortly before a race starts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Research also shows mothers and fathers kill their children at similar rates.—
Chelsea Bailey,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The captains were the fathers, or at least the grandfathers, of this genre.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
So does a significant share of the fertilizer precursors and agricultural imports that Gulf states rely on to feed their populations.—
Tenzin Seldon,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
-
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
Noun
-
Like that of her predecessors, her voice garnered respect based on a lifetime of service at the sport’s highest levels.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Unlike its staid, variety‑show predecessors, there was no paste‑up scenery, no corny costumes, and no announcers with Oxbridge accents.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ancestors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestors. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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