earliest

adjective

as in first
coming before all others in time or order the earliest computers were massive machines that practically filled up a room

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for earliest
  1. first
  2. initial
  3. original
  4. foremost
Adjective
  • Jarren Duran hit his 20th homer, a solo shot on the first pitch from Grayson Rodriguez (4-7), to spark a four-run second inning for Boston, which improved to an MLB-best 34-17 since the All-Star break.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The first full weekend of college football closed Monday night (eventually), and there was plenty to learn, especially given this was our first glimpse at most 2027 NFL Draft prospects.
    — Dane Brugler, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of first
Adjective
  • Doue’s initial double movement and left-footed dink into space are not easily replicated.
    — Art de Roché, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The strategy gives Covenant several paths to scale Anthem beyond its initial US production base.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of initial
Adjective
  • Bier’s addition to the franchise is as bizarrely paced as the original and significantly less charming.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2026
  • Feedback doesn’t have to flatten what makes the idea original.
    — Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of original
Adjective
  • Iran’s foremost vulnerability to sanctions and the blockade remains its persistent need for imports, which totaled $17 billion in the first five months of this Iranian calendar year beginning in March.
    — Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Asked about their firm’s primary hurdle in managing the current trade landscape, the vast majority (57 percent) said policy uncertainty, like tariffs changing with little notice, as their foremost challenge.
    — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of foremost
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.

Browse Nearby Words

earlier
earliest
earliness
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Cite this Entry

“Earliest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earliest. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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