as in progressive
being or employing the latest concepts, styles, or techniques
a very avant-garde artist whose works wouldn't even be considered art by many traditionalists
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in vanguard
the innovators of new concepts, styles, and techniques especially in the arts
to the theater world's avant-garde, the melodrama seemed like a very old-fashioned play whose time had come and gone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of avant-garde
Elinore Weil, Artforum, 4 Mar. 2026
Gomez took the reins, and shifted the cooking away from De Leon’s avant-garde Yucatecan offerings, creating multi-course experiences focused on global fine dining that emphasized fermentation, local grains and meats.
—Colin Wrenn, Denver Post, 4 Mar. 2026
Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2026
Francesco Risso, who helmed Marni after Castiglioni’s departure in 2016 through last year, took the brand in a more avant-garde, experimental direction.
—Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
Adjective
His ties with artists and designers such as Nicolas Schöffer, Roger Tallon, Yves Klein, and Jean Tinguely firmly anchored his process within the French avant-garde.
—Elinore Weil, Artforum, 4 Mar. 2026
Gomez took the reins, and shifted the cooking away from De Leon’s avant-garde Yucatecan offerings, creating multi-course experiences focused on global fine dining that emphasized fermentation, local grains and meats.
—Colin Wrenn, Denver Post, 4 Mar. 2026
Noun
Richard Mille, known for its highly technical, avant-garde pieces with massive price tags, sold just 5,950 watches last year (coming in at No. 6 on the ranking), but still managed to generate $4.1 billion in 2025.
—Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 26 Feb. 2026
Francesco Risso, who helmed Marni after Castiglioni’s departure in 2016 through last year, took the brand in a more avant-garde, experimental direction.
—Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avant-garde
Adjective
-
Fracturing of conservative communities leads a veteran Republican to retire and could help some incumbent Democrats fend off progressive challengers.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The results represent a victory for the ruling Historic Pact, which has campaigned on promising to continue Petro’s program of progressive economic reforms.—
Alfie Pannell,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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As the old vanguard of civil rights leaders pass, who will fill the void?—
Brittany Luse,
NPR,
6 Mar. 2026
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The once-insurgent vanguards who cast their first votes for Barack Obama have relinquished their cool factor to Gen Z, who will one day undergo the same process themselves as time continues its relentless march forward.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The spa Aman’s approach to wellness is holistic and advanced, drawing on nearly 40 years of well-being practices across its entire portfolio.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The robot relies on advanced control algorithms and artificial intelligence techniques.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
14 Mar. 2026
Noun
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His father was forged by years of revolutionary hardship—prison, persecution, life underground—before coming to power and reportedly amassing a war chest exceeding $100 billion, built in part from properties confiscated from religious minorities who fled persecution.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2026
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Bunn had previously used AI to search for new sources of oil underground, but pivoted to medical work after his wife had a series of miscarriages.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Split keyboards aren’t a new concept, but many ergonomic split keyboard designs, including JezailFunder’s own Cornix model, rely on unconventional layouts that require a little more getting used to.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
13 Mar. 2026
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The bot’s unconventional approach was a viral success, if not taken entirely seriously by mathematicians.—
Lyndie Chiou,
Scientific American,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Ditto at the rain-free Humphreys debuts of gospel-music legends The Blind Boys of Alabama, Brazilian music superstar Milton Nasciemento, solo guitarist Stanley Jordan, blues vocal dynamo Shemekia Copland, Portuguese fado singing star Mariza and, in 2017, the pioneering art-rock band King Crimson.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
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Getting Inspiration From Her Upbringing and Daughters With Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea, Harris aimed to pay tribute to her grandmother, Shyamala Gopalan, who was a pioneering scientist, researcher in the field of breast cancer, and mom to former Vice President Kamala Harris.—
Maressa Brown,
Parents,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Over the past four decades, the guitarist has drifted between avant jazz and Americana (and a little doom metal, too), sounding like nobody else the whole time.—
Archie Forde,
Pitchfork,
6 Mar. 2026
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Cabin in the Sky, for its part, evokes artistry beyond the genre, like Stereolab’s Margarine Eclipse, where the Chicago avant-pop band struggled to process the loss of longtime member Mary Hansen.—
Mosi Reeves,
Rolling Stone,
25 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Opened in 2025, the modern Persian cafe serves barbari bread and lavash wrap sandwiches, tahini-date shakes and chai lattes, plus a full slate of events aimed at uplifting the local Persian community.—
Angela Osorio,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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Renovations will include replacing the substation’s infrastructure with more modern equipment, which Miller said would be quieter.—
Emily Holshouser,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Avant-garde.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avant-garde. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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