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
Jon Burlingame, Variety, 12 Mar. 2023
The nude, floor-length frock hinted at old Hollywood, perhaps a nod to mom Janet Leigh, but with the avant-garde touch of exterior boning in the corset.
—Christopher Muther, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Mar. 2023
Christian Allaire, Vogue, 13 May 2025
Over the course of a decade, Estonian avant-garde rapper Tommy Cash has become one of pop music’s eminent tricksters.
—Reanna Cruz, Vulture, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
Adjective
Active in avant-garde music on the European music scene, Bertelmann frequently employs prepared piano and electronics.
—Jon Burlingame, Variety, 12 Mar. 2023
The nude, floor-length frock hinted at old Hollywood, perhaps a nod to mom Janet Leigh, but with the avant-garde touch of exterior boning in the corset.
—Christopher Muther, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Mar. 2023
Noun
Over 50 Indigenous designers took part in the weekend, each one debuting avant-garde creations with a poignant cultural flair.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 13 May 2025
Over the course of a decade, Estonian avant-garde rapper Tommy Cash has become one of pop music’s eminent tricksters.
—Reanna Cruz, Vulture, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avant-garde
Adjective
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Five years after Floyd’s killing, police backers say public opinion has largely swung back in favor of aggressive law enforcement, pointing to voter decisions last year to pass tough-on-crime legislation and oust progressive prosecutors.—
Hailey Branson-Potts,
Los Angeles Times,
27 May 2025
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What To Know In a post on X, formerly Twitter, progressive political action committee VoteVets criticized the Trump administration for the cutbacks, as well as the president's senior advisor and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) frontman Elon Musk.—
Aliss Higham,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 May 2025
Noun
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How Johnson, who has tried to position himself as part of the progressive vanguard against Trump in urban America, responds to these threats will define much of his next two years in office.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
19 May 2025
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Despite the oracular hubris of the genetic-screening vanguard, the story a parent wants has only one primary source, one reliable narrator.—
Jessica Winter,
New Yorker,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Even during the May OTA malaise, few drills draw the eye more than the athleticism and advanced drill work of the Bengals’ skill players.—
Paul Dehner Jr,
New York Times,
2 June 2025
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However, because no candidate received over 50% of the vote in that round, both advanced to Sunday’s runoff election.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
2 June 2025
Noun
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The thriller follows a streetwise chess prodigy pulled into a brutal underground circuit where every match is a deadly gamble.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
15 May 2025
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However, remember that this will not remove the fungi underground, just the visible mushrooms.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
11 May 2025
Adjective
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Consider a colleague who presented unconventional ideas in meetings or pursued a less traditional career path.—
Glenn Llopis,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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Featured prominently on many critics’ best-of-year lists, the book has captivated readers around the world, sparking a cultural dialogue around female desire, aging and unconventional relationships.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
23 May 2025
Adjective
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His tunes draw on a broad spectrum of Black American music, seamlessly encompassing blues, funk and R&B along with bebop and avant garde directions forged by Ornette Coleman (which are also steeped in the blues).—
Andrew Gilbert,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2025
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The collection Olsen’s gown hails from was rife with avant, flowing takes on bows, whether at the shoulders of pastel dresses or at the hips of drop waist dresses or tailored jackets.—
Marissa Muller,
WWD,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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In India, wine culture takes off — with a vineyard scene that’s worth a trip A postcard from the sunrise side of Islamorada in the Florida Keys Florida News Meet Orlando’s dinkiest diva: Pearl, the world’s shortest dog Her origin story is a modern tale of love, attitude and cloning.—
South Florida Sun Sentinel,
Sun Sentinel,
26 May 2025
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Philosophers from John Rawls to Jürgen Habermas have argued for its essential place in modern democracy.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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The exhibition will showcase the radical contributions of disabled, deaf and neurodivergent people and communities to design and contemporary culture, stretching from the 1940s to the present day.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
24 May 2025
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But the version of the fountain of youth myth that has the strongest hold on contemporary culture comes not from ancient times, from Egypt, Greece or Rome.—
Sean Kingsley,
HollywoodReporter,
24 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Avant-garde.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avant-garde. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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