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
All grandfathers, uncles, fathers and father figures are invited.
—
Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Each one grew up in a home that required her to curry favor with volatile and inconstant parents—a menacing father figure, a recessive and enabling mother—and each found a fragile safety in her caretakers’ occasional good will.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
The post on Instagram, made by Dacoda Nichole, does not name Rice but refers to a father figure.
—Rebecca Tauber, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
The man who served as a father figure to many teens who didn’t have one of their own.
—Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for father figure
Melinda Moore, Chicago Tribune, 13 Jan. 2026
Each one grew up in a home that required her to curry favor with volatile and inconstant parents—a menacing father figure, a recessive and enabling mother—and each found a fragile safety in her caretakers’ occasional good will.
—Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
The post on Instagram, made by Dacoda Nichole, does not name Rice but refers to a father figure.
—Rebecca Tauber, New York Times, 8 Jan. 2026
The man who served as a father figure to many teens who didn’t have one of their own.
—Scott Maxwell, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for father figure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for father figure
Noun
-
Even better, however, were some smaller numbers that went his way Saturday when the Mustangs hosted Oswego East, where his dad Terrell is a sophomore coach and varsity assistant.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
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Interestingly the pool scene, where Kevin loses his dad’s massive swim trunks while bombing in the pool, was filmed at the Four Seasons Chicago – the Plaza Hotel doesn’t have an indoor pool.—
Adam Turner,
Condé Nast Traveler,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Mu Hee’s visits her Uncle and Aunt, and requests them to ask her father the whereabouts of her mother.—
Hannah Abraham,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
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My immediate reaction was to run close to the section to aid in the protection and safety of my father and mother, who was with me.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Father figure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/father%20figure. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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