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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expectant
Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2025
His advice to expectant parents who are on the fence is to talk to their doctor about the shots.
—Jackie Fortiér, NPR, 3 Dec. 2025
Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 28 June 2025
In the end, this expectant father learned a valuable — and slightly embarrassing — lesson: sometimes, the best thing to say during a poignant moment is nothing at all.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for expectant
Adjective
Doulas advise and assist expectant parents on everything from pregnancy aches and pains to the birth itself.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2025
His advice to expectant parents who are on the fence is to talk to their doctor about the shots.
—Jackie Fortiér, NPR, 3 Dec. 2025
Noun
In an emergency appeal, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to let the policy go into effect for everyone other than the specific expectant parents named in the lawsuits or, at most, any member of the immigrant rights groups or residents of a state that challenged the policy.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 28 June 2025
In the end, this expectant father learned a valuable — and slightly embarrassing — lesson: sometimes, the best thing to say during a poignant moment is nothing at all.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for expectant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expectant
Adjective
-
Weir was always eager to share anecdotes about Garcia and their escapades.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Tax season is in full swing, and many taxpayers are eager to see their refunds arrive in their bank accounts.—
Jordan Green,
Memphis Commercial Appeal,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Her mother was pregnant with her older brother.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Soft cheeses made with such unpasteurized milk can run an infection risk from listeria bacteria, a special danger for pregnant women and newborns.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
During a gubernatorial forum in Sacramento, candidates were asked whether Wasserman should step down.—
Dakota Smith,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
On Wednesday, lefty starter Kyle Freeland, right-handed starter Ryan Feltner, and closer candidate Victor Vodnik threw in the main stadium at Salt River.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The baby inside the king cake is typically hidden from view to symbolize hiding the newborn Jesus from King Herod's watchful eye.—
Mary Catherine McAnnally Scott,
Southern Living,
14 Feb. 2026
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But beyond being a helpful hand and watchful eye, DiTore has been a real source of comfort for many in Demarest, like Erin Kitzie.—
Steve Hartman,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The bullpen hopeful told me that he's added a sinker to his arsenal and is happy with the pitch's development thus far.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
13 Feb. 2026
-
This is not to say that awards hopefuls still don’t put in the effort.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
12 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The evening Regal crowd was more enthusiastic than BAM’s afternoon set.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
-
If this sounds like the future, the El Paso incident is a reminder that the future has paperwork to contend with and that not everyone is enthusiastic.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Officials in law enforcement have said the number of police applicants looking to join a police force never quite rebounded since unrest around the nation led to protests and demonstrations in the wake of George Floyd’s death in 2020.—
Justin Muszynski,
Hartford Courant,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Several policy priorities followed from Miller’s long-standing fixations, such as denying immigrants work authorization while their legal cases were pending and penalizing applicants who used public benefits.—
Jonathan Blitzer,
New Yorker,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Room counts are low, anticipatory service is high, and above all else, each is set in a remarkable location and designed in a way that highlights its surroundings.—
Jake Emen,
Robb Report,
22 Jan. 2026
-
One aspect of the case that Keating finds curious is the Rose Bowl’s claim of anticipatory breach given that UCLA has not played a home game anywhere else for more than four decades.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expectant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expectant. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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