as in dad
an older man who acts in a paternal role to younger people
The coach was a stern, wise father figure to his players.
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Recent Examples of father figure
Hudson and Oliver were primarily raised by Hawn and her partner of 43 years, Russell, 74, whom the actress has publicly described as her father figure.
—
Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 22 Feb. 2026
In the film, Atlas (Bisping), a former champion who’s been gone from the scene for 10 years, returns to Los Angeles for the funeral of Dutch, his mentor and father figure.
—Carole Horst, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
Bella Ramsey takes a break from killing zombies and avenging father figures, their usual pastimes in series The Last of Us, to fool around and fall in love in Sunny Dancer, a decidedly uneven but fitfully charming, YA-skewed British comedy-drama.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Ultimately, Confidence Men is a story about the battle for Bobby’s soul between two father figures, showing the depth of loyalty that tough SOB Special Agent Russo had for this young man, who in his words was the most talented CI there ever was — better than most undercover agents.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for father figure
Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 22 Feb. 2026
In the film, Atlas (Bisping), a former champion who’s been gone from the scene for 10 years, returns to Los Angeles for the funeral of Dutch, his mentor and father figure.
—Carole Horst, Variety, 14 Feb. 2026
Bella Ramsey takes a break from killing zombies and avenging father figures, their usual pastimes in series The Last of Us, to fool around and fall in love in Sunny Dancer, a decidedly uneven but fitfully charming, YA-skewed British comedy-drama.
—Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026
Ultimately, Confidence Men is a story about the battle for Bobby’s soul between two father figures, showing the depth of loyalty that tough SOB Special Agent Russo had for this young man, who in his words was the most talented CI there ever was — better than most undercover agents.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for father figure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for father figure
Noun
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The dads and sons hustled to a nearby dirt patch.—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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In fact, her dad took her to The Grove in Glenview a couple of weeks ago to practice.—
Marissa Sulek,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Her father, Ken, also had a big hand in developing her career.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
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Kevin MacEgan said his father’s honor, wisdom, kindness and character will serve as his lasting legacy.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Father figure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/father%20figure. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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