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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of avant-garde
Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
Her work is the apex of the avant-garde made accessible, high-minded and emotionally charged without being alienating.
—David Harris, SPIN, 11 May 2026
Marissa Lorusso, Pitchfork, 3 May 2026
To Kim, the blueprint comes from Rei Kawakubo, the avant-garde founder behind the cult favorite label Comme des Garçons.
—Diana Tsui, Footwear News, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
Adjective
The avant-garde exoticism of Spark’s dress was typical of Schiaparelli’s work.
—Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
Her work is the apex of the avant-garde made accessible, high-minded and emotionally charged without being alienating.
—David Harris, SPIN, 11 May 2026
Noun
But just a few miles away from Chicago and Schapiro’s avant-garde wonderland, in West Hollywood, lay another IRL feminist utopia called Fanny Hill.
—Marissa Lorusso, Pitchfork, 3 May 2026
To Kim, the blueprint comes from Rei Kawakubo, the avant-garde founder behind the cult favorite label Comme des Garçons.
—Diana Tsui, Footwear News, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avant-garde
Adjective
-
European dance music rhythms collide with contemporary hip-hop deliveries and progressive metal bass undertones as if they were always meant to coalesce.—
Miki Hellerbach,
Los Angeles Times,
11 May 2026
-
While progressive Democrats are pushing to tax billionaires and close corporate loopholes, Republicans are warning that squeezing job creators will severely damage Illinois’ economy.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Hekt’s debut album heralds a union between the left-field pop scene of his native Copenhagen and the influential Glasgow label Numbers, whose formidable run of 2010s releases—including several landmark SOPHIE singles—has left a neon imprint on the new Danish vanguard.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
1 May 2026
-
Yes, Barcelona comes across normally as a cool place, a vanguard city which everybody wants to visit.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The ReCAM project aims to change this by using advanced technology and AI to process this dirt locally, turning it directly back into high-grade battery components.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
8 May 2026
-
But experts have urged caution around the release of the new files, warning that UAP videos are often misinterpreted and mischaracterized by those unfamiliar with advanced military technology.—
Seung Min Kim,
Chicago Tribune,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Though operating at the center of the Venezuelan underground, Garbán embodies the disconnect between the scene’s international acclaim and domestic invisibility.—
Marcos Sanoja,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
-
This plant is intended to store large quantities of hydrogen underground.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
At first glance, the pairing might seem like an unconventional one, even though both artists are well known for appropriating others’ images.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
8 May 2026
-
The country’s ability to credibly threaten commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz actually hinges on multiple layers of cheap and unconventional warfare systems – drones, mines and a fleet of small attack boats, which are harder to detect than traditional naval assets.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
John Barbour, whose role in creating, producing and co-hosting the 1979-1984 NBC series Real People is recognized as a pioneering effort in the popularity of reality TV, died from natural causes on Sunday, May 10, at his home in Las Vegas.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
-
Jimmy was modeled after experimental artists like Ron Vawter, of The Wooster Group, and Frank Maya, a pioneering gay comedian — men who died young but fought to create until their last breath.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Italian experimentalist goes absolutely haywire on a very overwhelming, very fun half-hour of ecstatic avant metal.—
Sam Goldner,
Pitchfork,
30 Mar. 2026
-
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
-
Of course, modern touches like bedside power ports and espresso machines are also in place.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 May 2026
-
Vimala Pons, in strawberry-blonde bangs, is a striking actor who plays Irène as the new modern woman.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
12 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Avant-garde.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avant-garde. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
