1
as in initial
coming before all others in time or order
the much-studied first—and last—voyage of the Titanic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in main
coming before all others in importance
there are a number of reasons we can't go, but the first is that we don't have the money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in foremost
highest in rank or authority
auditioned and got first clarinet in the band
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in instead
as a substitute
eat peas? I'd eat cockroaches first
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in rather
by choice or preference
we will not give in, but will fight for our freedom first
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of first
Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
In other words, the next 10 games could go a long way in determining whether the Sharks can make the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2026
Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business, and stop.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for first
Adjective
That was a first and hopefully a last.
—Catherine Santino, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
In other words, the next 10 games could go a long way in determining whether the Sharks can make the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
—Curtis Pashelka, Mercury News, 13 Jan. 2026
Adverb
Philadelphia first tried the 24-year-old at center but eventually moved him to the wing, presumably because of his struggles in the faceoff circle (just 39 percent of draws won) and because the wing is a less demanding defensive position.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
In extremely dense fog where visibility is near zero, the best course of action is to first turn on your hazard lights, then simply pull into a safe location such as a parking lot of a local business, and stop.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for first
Recent Examples of Synonyms for first
Adjective
-
Both twins survived the initial fetal surgery and Sarah was later discharged, but spent the next four weeks undergoing two ultrasounds a week just to make sure everything still looked okay.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
-
On multiple occasions, body camera video and cellphone footage has contradicted federal officials' initial claims about the shootings.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
16 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
And one of its main ingredients was a hair product – Afro Sheen.—
Sonari Glinton,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Then the Orion capsule will fire up its main thruster and shoot off towards the Moon on its 240,000-mile, four-day journey.—
The Week,
TheWeek,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Travelers often worry about coming off as rude or offending someone, but your personal safety is foremost, so trust your gut.—
Patricia Doherty,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Half of the finance chiefs surveyed named digital transformation as their foremost priority for 2026, followed by cash management optimization and capital allocation.—
Sheryl Estrada,
Fortune,
13 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
If black isn’t to your liking, choose cobalt blue, deep burgundy, or chocolate brown instead.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
14 Jan. 2026
-
John FitzGerald, who, per sources was at one time in line for Ways and Means chair, will instead continue as Public Health, Homelessness and Recovery chair.—
Gayla Cawley,
Boston Herald,
13 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
The hatch closure livestream could be a rather straightforward affair, with live video showing views of the astronauts entering the Dragon capsule, shutting the hatch and reporting down to Mission Control.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
15 Jan. 2026
-
As for her favorite pickle, Lovato shared with Kelce, 33, that her favorite is a Vlasic dill pickle, not in spear form, but rather the whole pickle.—
Rachel McRady,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
AmPav previously hosted IndieWire’s inaugural Future of Filmmaking Summit at Cannes in 2025, and has been a longtime home for IndieWire events at the festival.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
15 Jan. 2026
-
The second annual Fan Fest brings back some familiar intellectual properties from the inaugural event with new twists added to the experiences.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Chris Tissue, who is chief operating officer at credit union consulting firm CUCollaborate, will be the board’s chairperson.—
Jeff Kauflin,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
-
That includes models getting ready, up-close looks at the show and everything that went into the planning with the brand's chief creative officer Adam Selman.—
Hedy Phillips,
PEOPLE,
21 Jan. 2026
Adverb
-
Then refrigerate at least overnight, but preferably for two or three days.—
Caron Golden,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Customers are now hoping something else will take its place, preferably something affordable.—
Sara Machi,
CBS News,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“First.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/first. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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