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
The find provides the first direct fossil evidence that early mammal ancestors laid eggs.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026
But did the earliest ancestors of mammals also reproduce through eggs?
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 9 Apr. 2026
The first volume recounts Akbar’s ancestors’ history, particularly the lineage from the Turkic conqueror Timur to Babur.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
For our ancestors, that twinkling ball would have been completely dark.
—Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026
His ancestors moved from Mexico City into Chihuahua and then farther north to New Mexico, where his grandfather was born and raised.
—Abbey Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Apr. 2026
Why Giant Salamanders Are Called ‘Living Fossils’ Fossil records show that giant salamander ancestors lived alongside dinosaurs, making the creature a direct link to a prehistoric world.
—Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Apr. 2026
Fossil records show their ancestors lived alongside dinosaurs, and the species has remained virtually unchanged for millions of years.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
Her ancestors left the French region of Normandy for Quebec in the 1700s before eventually settling in New England.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Apr. 2026
But did the earliest ancestors of mammals also reproduce through eggs?
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 9 Apr. 2026
The first volume recounts Akbar’s ancestors’ history, particularly the lineage from the Turkic conqueror Timur to Babur.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
For our ancestors, that twinkling ball would have been completely dark.
—Tereza Pultarova, Space.com, 9 Apr. 2026
His ancestors moved from Mexico City into Chihuahua and then farther north to New Mexico, where his grandfather was born and raised.
—Abbey Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Apr. 2026
Why Giant Salamanders Are Called ‘Living Fossils’ Fossil records show that giant salamander ancestors lived alongside dinosaurs, making the creature a direct link to a prehistoric world.
—Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Apr. 2026
Fossil records show their ancestors lived alongside dinosaurs, and the species has remained virtually unchanged for millions of years.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
Her ancestors left the French region of Normandy for Quebec in the 1700s before eventually settling in New England.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 7 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestors
Noun
-
Her grandfathers were military.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
-
College-age amateurs competing alongside former champions old enough to be their grandfathers is a longstanding Masters tradition.—
Jack Leo,
AJC.com,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
-
These were the forerunners of today’s robots.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At this, the two strangers returned to a parallel silence for the rest of the flight, both of them thinking about their fathers while trying to think of something else.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
-
So, to help fathers and other male caregivers feel more comfortable sharing their experiences, some Parent Cafes this year will be facilitated by male hosts, a recent news release from the health department said.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Iran also spied on Iraqi positions with rudimentary precursors to drones, an early use of one of the regime’s most effective weapons in its attempt to blockade the strait.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
7 Apr. 2026
-
In March, state media reported that China arrested seven people in an operation targeting traffickers of fentanyl precursors, according to the Reuters news agency.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Mitski’s 2026 album and live show both differ in interesting ways from their immediate predecessors.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The crew’s emotions on the eve of Easter Sunday had echoed those of their predecessors on Apollo 8, who had read from the biblical book of Genesis while orbiting the moon on Christmas Eve in 1968.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
6 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ancestors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestors. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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