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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of first
Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 10 June 2026
The first nine Dodgers reached base in the inning.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 June 2026
The screwworm was first discovered in a 3-week-old calf last week, and a second case was found only miles away in a young calf.
—ABC News, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for first
Adjective
The pair visited Ethiopia in 2019 and met with Sahle-Work Zewde, the first woman president of Ethiopia to discuss ways to help girls continue their schooling.
—Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 10 June 2026
The first nine Dodgers reached base in the inning.
—Bill Plunkett, Oc Register, 10 June 2026
Adverb
County administrators at first couldn’t say whether a water-main break near the intersection of Bird Road and Southwest 84th Avenue was a result of seismic activity.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 June 2026
The screwworm was first discovered in a 3-week-old calf last week, and a second case was found only miles away in a young calf.
—ABC News, 8 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for first
Recent Examples of Synonyms for first
Adjective
-
Elon Musk’s SpaceX — rocket manufacturer, satellite internet service provider, AI firm and owner of X (aka Twitter) all rolled into one — has officially set a record for the biggest IPO in history with its initial stock pricing.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
11 June 2026
-
The programming follows the chefs from initial concept and ingredient sourcing through recipe development and testing, offering passengers a behind-the-scenes look at how the meals came together.—
Samantha Leal,
Travel + Leisure,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Kevin Cook, the venue’s main host and inarguably the reigning queen of drag in Portland.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Pashinyan’s main rival is the Strong Armenia Party, which wants closer business ties with Russia and accuses Pashinyan of attempting to spark a war with Moscow.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 June 2026
Adjective
-
Construction began in 2006 after a competition that attracted some of the world’s foremost architectural firms and months of debate over whether to rebuild where thousands were killed in the 9/11 attacks.—
USA TODAY Network,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
Sheku’s universal appeal, which reaches far beyond traditional classical audiences, combined with his credibility as one of the world’s foremost cellists, makes this a unique acquisition for us.—
Jesse Whittock,
Deadline,
9 June 2026
Adverb
-
The Tigers would head to the Sugar Bowl by way of conference tie-ins, and while another top-10 victory over Virginia Tech in New Orleans would sway several other pollsters to rank Auburn as the top team in the land, the big ones that counted awarded the Trojans with the crystal football instead.—
Austin Perry OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
6 June 2026
-
But the officers descend upon an innocent Black man standing nearby instead.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 June 2026
Adverb
-
Phongam plays off Jittri’s steam-rolling ambition to electrifying results in a rather addictive Thai thriller series that throws a lot of story at ya.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
-
But rather than further ratchet up the stakes in the final minutes, the episode closes with Rosemary exhaustively — and rather hilariously — going over an extensive genealogical document for Tom and Patricia.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Hurst, a Colorado native who grew up in Lakewood, was already 13 by the time of the Rockies’ inaugural season in 1993.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
11 June 2026
-
After years of buildup, the 2026 FIFA World Cup officially begins Thursday when Mexico takes on South Africa in the inaugural match of the event.—
Kellis Robinett,
Kansas City Star,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
These powerful systems are well-suited for developing and tuning edge models and agents, but are not primary robotics deployment platforms.—
Bill Curtis,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Other highlights include a gym and a plush primary suite flaunting a stainless-steel fireplace.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Whoop's co-founders spearheaded the computer science and mechanical engineering elements, with Nicolae becoming chief hardware engineer.—
Tom Huddleston Jr.
Blair Baek,
CNBC,
9 June 2026
-
Amazon initially reserved launches on all of the West’s commercially available heavy-lift rockets except those from SpaceX, which owns Starlink, Amazon Leo’s chief competitor.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“First.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/first. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
