1
as in eager
having or showing signs of eagerly awaiting something
expectant crowds gathered at the spot where the President was scheduled to make an appearance
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pregnant
containing unborn young within the body
a medication that should not be taken by expectant women without permission from their doctors
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in candidate
one who seeks an office, honor, position, or award
divinity students who were all expectants for a curacy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expectant
Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 18 Sep. 2025
Attractions include kitschy traditions such as a butter-sculpting demonstration, in which a master carver crafts a bust of the winner of the annual Princess Kay of the Milky Way pageant, and the Miracle of Birth Center, displaying pens of expectant farm animals.
—Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
However, Reddit users were firmly on the expectant mom's side, noting that her mother-in-law's insistence on being included in the birth plans is steamrolling her wishes.
—Sara Belcher, People.com, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for expectant
Adjective
Industry players were alert and expectant, even as costs at home remain high.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 18 Sep. 2025
Attractions include kitschy traditions such as a butter-sculpting demonstration, in which a master carver crafts a bust of the winner of the annual Princess Kay of the Milky Way pageant, and the Miracle of Birth Center, displaying pens of expectant farm animals.
—Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Noun
That was the conclusion reached following an experiment in which the brains of 20 expectant fathers were scanned before and after the birth of a baby, and then compared with the brains of 17 childless men.
—Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 June 2025
However, Reddit users were firmly on the expectant mom's side, noting that her mother-in-law's insistence on being included in the birth plans is steamrolling her wishes.
—Sara Belcher, People.com, 15 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for expectant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expectant
Adjective
-
The 23-year-old Shou, a lifelong Fremont resident, won out over hundreds of others eager to play 17-year-old Joe, a troubled San Gabriel Valley area high school student with schizophrenia whose distraught mom Irene (Liu, in a transformative performance) is dying of cancer.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
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Hosted by Variety’s Angelique Jackson and Marc Malkin, the pre-show will deliver exclusive access, must-see interviews and real-time coverage from the first spot on the carpet, serving as the ultimate destination for fans eager to experience the night unfold.—
William Earl,
Variety,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
The actress became pregnant with their first child while filming season 3 of The Rookie, and instead of strategically concealing her pregnancy to play Angela, creator Alexi Hawley simply wrote it into Diaz's character's storyline.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
7 Jan. 2026
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In the fine print of its overhauled recommendations, the CDC suggests an initial RSV dose for infants under 8 months if their mothers did not get an RSV shot while pregnant, and a second dose for children with underlying issues like chronic lung disease.—
Aria Bendix,
NBC news,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Salyer has been perhaps the best candidate at left tackle, having been a starter earlier in his career.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
8 Jan. 2026
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The closest candidate is Bucs receiver Emeka Egbuka with 938 and tight end Tyler Warren with 817.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Browning butter is simple to do but requires a watchful eye and keen senses.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Otherwise, keep a watchful eye on these under the broiler.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Meanwhile, Oscar hopefuls Frankenstein, Hamnet, and Marty Supreme each nabbed three.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
7 Jan. 2026
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One progressive hopeful says efforts to copy his popular style are pointless without concrete policy plans.—
Ross O'Keefe,
The Washington Examiner,
1 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Obama’s enthusiastic showings for both candidates was a test of whether his sway over the Democratic Party still remains after his support for Harris failed to boost her to the White House a year ago and angered black male voters who felt unfairly accused of sexism.—
Mabinty Quarshie,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Nov. 2025
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Thornton did not respond to our request for comment on this story, but IndieWire found proof of public interactions Bolea had with the actor, positioning them as enthusiastic supporters of each other’s work at a time when love for Art the Clown was spreading quickly.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
After approval, the Department of Finance will mail cards -- which will include the name and address of the farm, the issue date and a unique card number -- to the applicants.—
Cristina LaRue,
Arkansas Online,
6 Jan. 2026
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While many campuses were delaying scholarship decisions until the government resolved problems with a new financial aid form, Swarthmore used other data to figure out applicants’ financial need.—
Collin Binkley,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Haq said the agency is also preparing to deliver anticipatory electronic money distributions totaling $900,000 to meet urgent humanitarian needs for about 45,000 people.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
23 Oct. 2025
-
The late Christopher Gray once wrote about the anticipatory destruction of the Cherokee Club, a sweet building from 1890 that was taken down in the late 1970s.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
23 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Expectant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expectant. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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