as in families
a group of people who are related that maintain a powerful position for a long time
The latest heirs of the ruling dynasty have no interest in ceding their position of authority over the land.
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Recent Examples of dynasties
In some dynasties, the lineage is clear—the Trumps and the Kennedys are a long line of nesting nepo babies.
—
Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 16 Jan. 2026
History is everywhere in Okinawa, which from 1429 to 1879 was the Ryukyu Kingdom, a tributary state under China’s Ming and Qing dynasties.
—Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 16 Jan. 2026
Fantasy, at its grandest, is about wars, dynasties, prophecies, and the long shadow of history, action, and consequences.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
The Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame announced its 2026 induction class on Wednesday, a group that includes contributors to professional dynasties, Olympic gold medals and collegiate dominance.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
Colors take center stage, embedding references to the paintings and glasswork in European churches, the hues of the natural landscape in China’s Dunhuang county, as well as to the iconography and embroideries from the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern dynasties in ancient China.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Jan. 2026
In 1940 and 1941, Minnesota extended one of the sport’s greatest dynasties, collecting its fourth and fifth national titles in eight years.
—The Athletic College Football, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
The December donors include members of the super-wealthy Pritzker and Soros dynasties as well as Hollywood stars like Mark Ruffalo, Lupita Nyong’O, Bill Camp and Morgan Spector.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
Opportunistic politicians and investigative reporters swing by, as do fascist dynasties and some sinister Jeffrey Epstein undertones.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 5 Jan. 2026
Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 16 Jan. 2026
History is everywhere in Okinawa, which from 1429 to 1879 was the Ryukyu Kingdom, a tributary state under China’s Ming and Qing dynasties.
—Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 16 Jan. 2026
Fantasy, at its grandest, is about wars, dynasties, prophecies, and the long shadow of history, action, and consequences.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
The Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame announced its 2026 induction class on Wednesday, a group that includes contributors to professional dynasties, Olympic gold medals and collegiate dominance.
—Nathan Canilao, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
Colors take center stage, embedding references to the paintings and glasswork in European churches, the hues of the natural landscape in China’s Dunhuang county, as well as to the iconography and embroideries from the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern dynasties in ancient China.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Jan. 2026
In 1940 and 1941, Minnesota extended one of the sport’s greatest dynasties, collecting its fourth and fifth national titles in eight years.
—The Athletic College Football, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
The December donors include members of the super-wealthy Pritzker and Soros dynasties as well as Hollywood stars like Mark Ruffalo, Lupita Nyong’O, Bill Camp and Morgan Spector.
—Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2026
Opportunistic politicians and investigative reporters swing by, as do fascist dynasties and some sinister Jeffrey Epstein undertones.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dynasties
Noun
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Hundreds of volunteers have packed and delivered grocery boxes to families too afraid to leave their homes.—
Dev Patnaik,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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HexClad has already contributed directly to recovery efforts, donating cookware to families who lost their homes and helping provide tens of thousands of meals through community partnerships.—
Michelle Edgar,
Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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For example, Crow people have held onto their nation's language; neighbors are often family, or considered such; and many tribal members rely on their clans to mentor children, who eventually become mentors themselves for the next generation.—
Katheryn Houghton,
NPR,
8 Jan. 2026
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But when Klaus’ toys begin to cheer up the children of Smeerensburg — a town whose inhabitants are perpetually engaged in a feud between two familial clans — Jesper and Klaus must step out of their comfort zones to help save the town from itself.—
Andrew Walsh,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Dec. 2025
Noun
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DiDonato has appeared on catwalks for major fashion houses and has featured in publications such as Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar.—
Jennifer Weil,
Footwear News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Events across the region are taking place all day at schools, local businesses, houses of worship and burned down local landmarks in various stages of rebuilding.—
David Wilson,
Daily News,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Test your knowledge of sports soundtracks, entertainment empires and more in this week's American Culture Quiz.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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Prosperous empires throughout history have suffered failures born from complacency.—
Jamie Holmes,
Twin Cities,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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McGuire’s goal here is entertainment (achieved) but his empathetic treatment of the indigenous tribes the English come into contact and conflict with gives his novel a mournful air of tragedy.—
Chloe Schama,
Vogue,
24 Jan. 2026
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The Colorado River provides water for cities from Denver to Los Angeles, 30 Native tribes and farming communities from the Rocky Mountains to northern Mexico.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The burial ground dates back to a significant time in English history, when regional kingdoms started to form and consolidate power.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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The early Iron Age kingdoms of Neo-Assyria, Egypt, Israel and Judah, and their relationship to the Phoenician cities, underlie our understanding of these events.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dynasties.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dynasties. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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