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
Christian Allaire, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2025
Within minutes of arriving in Paris in 1903 and settling with Leo near Montparnasse, Stein hurled herself into the center of the thriving avant-garde art world.
—Daphne Merkin, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
Neil McRobert, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
Director/Producer: Nick Canfield From Swiss avant-garde roots to American pop culture, two artists crafted a song that became a cultural touchstone.
—Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
Adjective
Whether walking the runway in avant-garde looks or perfecting model-off-duty moments, great style runs in the family.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 2 Nov. 2025
Within minutes of arriving in Paris in 1903 and settling with Leo near Montparnasse, Stein hurled herself into the center of the thriving avant-garde art world.
—Daphne Merkin, The Atlantic, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
There’s a cursed avant-garde horror movie that may be an occult ritual.
—Neil McRobert, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
Director/Producer: Nick Canfield From Swiss avant-garde roots to American pop culture, two artists crafted a song that became a cultural touchstone.
—Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avant-garde
Adjective
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Advertisement Her victory also carries national implications for Democrats, who are struggling to chart a path between progressive energy and centrist caution ahead of the 2026 midterms.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
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One person familiar with Tuesday’s heated discussion within the caucus says there appears to be at least eight Democratic votes to reopen the government — even though progressive Democratic senators vented their frustration with the potential deal.—
Alexander Bolton,
The Hill,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The oysterman has been catapulted onto the national stage as part of a vanguard of progressive, young candidates who have gained widespread support by appealing to working class voters.—
Sam Stone,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
16 Oct. 2025
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The San Francisco 49ers, vanguards of the outside zone run game, cannot run the ball.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But Washington has been watching closely as both countries continue to develop and test advanced weapons capable of delivering nuclear warheads.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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Even his portrayal of a man with advanced dementia, in The Father (2020), which won the Academy Award for Best Actor, emitted a disconcerting power.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Considering that Albini helped build the sound of the alt-rock underground, shouldn’t those exact tools and test pressings be immortalized in a museum?—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
29 Oct. 2025
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Ascending from the horror underground, CBS daytime show The Talk covered theater-goers hurling at screenings.—
Winston Cho,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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According to Rusch, the family has always done things in an unconventional way because of her and Thiemo’s careers.—
Victoria Uwumarogie,
Essence,
3 Nov. 2025
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Her songs—influenced by rock, punk, and reggae—are striking and confident and cathartic, but unconventional in ways that challenge the casual listener.—
Amy Weiss-Meyer,
The Atlantic,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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British music producer and instrumentalist Dave Ball, best known as one half of the pioneering synth-pop duo Soft Cell, has died.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
23 Oct. 2025
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Both were formerly with Generation Investment Management, the pioneering sustainable investment management firm founded by former Vice President Al Gore a little more than 20 years ago.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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With her avant-groove sensibilities and refusal to color inside the lines, Lenae represents the fearless spirit fueling R&B’s new era.—
Carl Lamarre,
Billboard,
29 Oct. 2025
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The avant-soul album is considered a masterpiece, with Pitchfork ranking it the ninth-best album of the 2010s.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In short, the great task before us is to revisit and reimagine America’s founding fight as a creation story in the making of our modern world.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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Anyone vaguely near the aesthetic gets christened it by fans, including Bassvictim, who were always funnier and more creative than the other modern electroclash revivalists.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Avant-garde.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avant-garde. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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