1
as in existing
having being at the present time
a celebrated author who is generally regarded as America's greatest novelist extant
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Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in current
existing or in progress right now
when people envisage the future, they often base their predictions on the assumption that extant trends will continue indefinitely
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of extant
During his interaction with the Pakistani aunty Mamdani acknowledged having visited her home country but there is no extant record of his having visited India.
—
Vijay Dandapani, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
Not only does the extant relationship between art and commerce imply no causal relationship between commercial performance and literary quality, but this false implication is itself a pernicious impediment to both the creation and profitable production of great art.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
The escape or release of either one could result in ecological imbalances and unforeseen interactions with extant species that we humans, who aren’t all-powerful, could find impossible to manage and control.
—JSTOR Daily, 13 Nov. 2025
Landscape architects Harriett Wimmer and Joe Yamada were based for many years in the Design Center and probably the most prominent local landscape design practice, which is another extant legacy firm.
—Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extant
Vijay Dandapani, New York Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
Not only does the extant relationship between art and commerce imply no causal relationship between commercial performance and literary quality, but this false implication is itself a pernicious impediment to both the creation and profitable production of great art.
—Literary Hub, 10 Dec. 2025
The escape or release of either one could result in ecological imbalances and unforeseen interactions with extant species that we humans, who aren’t all-powerful, could find impossible to manage and control.
—JSTOR Daily, 13 Nov. 2025
Landscape architects Harriett Wimmer and Joe Yamada were based for many years in the Design Center and probably the most prominent local landscape design practice, which is another extant legacy firm.
—Michael James Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for extant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for extant
Adjective
-
Congress must strengthen protections for pre-existing conditions, expand coverage options including Medicaid incentives, empower Medicare negotiation of drug prices, and invest in mental health and rural care.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
As for pre-existing ones, Boone said that Carlos Rodón, recovering from elbow surgery to remove loose bodies and shave down a bone spur, and Gerrit Cole, who underwent Tommy John surgery last spring, are doing well with their throwing programs.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The current Air Force One airplanes entered service in 1990.—
George Petras,
USA Today,
19 Feb. 2026
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The rink disparity’s roots go back to well before the countries’ current allocation of resources.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Last week, the council decided to donate six of the 94-year-old desks to the not-yet-existent Museum of Denver.—
Elliott Wenzler,
Denver Post,
17 Feb. 2026
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Compared to the barely existent returns traditional savings accounts are offering now, a money market account arguably becomes the most attractive option for savers currently.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Certain rock formations also produce hydrogen gas, but until recently, scientists did not believe economic accumulations of the gas were present at depths that could be extracted.—
Cami Koons,
Iowa Capital Dispatch,
17 Feb. 2026
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Ghosts blur the lines between past and present, life and death, destabilizing the order of things.—
Judith Shulevitz,
The Atlantic,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The kidnappers were part of an ongoing abduction ring that had netted around $65 million.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
16 Feb. 2026
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Structural challenges—including constraints in yarn supply, port bottlenecks, rising labor costs and ongoing wage negotiations will require sustained and coordinated effort.—
Mayu Saini,
Sourcing Journal,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Extant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/extant. Accessed 23 Feb. 2026.
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