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
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
The linebacker even called him a father figure.
—Jeff Fedotin, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Martella, who retired in 2019, considered Fogarty a brother, a friend, a mentor and at times a father figure.
—Laura Ness, Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2026
Matt also became a father figure to Luciana's daughter, Alexia.
—Jessica Booth, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for father figure
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 5 Feb. 2026
The linebacker even called him a father figure.
—Jeff Fedotin, Forbes.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Martella, who retired in 2019, considered Fogarty a brother, a friend, a mentor and at times a father figure.
—Laura Ness, Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2026
Matt also became a father figure to Luciana's daughter, Alexia.
—Jessica Booth, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for father figure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for father figure
Noun
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My dad, who wears an insulin pump, and my aunt, who hadn’t flown internationally since 2004, definitely required some handholding at this point.—
Katie Jackson,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
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The guys were joking around, calling coach my dad and stuff like that.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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An Israeli intelligence assessment, meanwhile, found Iran's new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, was wounded at the start of the war -- on the day when his father and predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in an Israeli airstrike.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
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In Chicago, Martinez’s father picked up minimum-wage jobs.—
Ruby Cramer,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Father figure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/father%20figure. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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