as in excellent
of the very best kind
a first-string rendition of the musical piece
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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-string
That has not kept Henderson from receiving snaps with Maye and the rest of the first-string offense, however.
—
Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 27 July 2025
Young guys typically have to earn their way to first-string snaps.
—Jesse Newell, Kansas City Star, 26 July 2025
Breslow and his scouts stole a first-string catcher, Carlos Narvaez, from the Yankees, who’d had him in their minor league system since 2015.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 16 July 2025
Hudson has been practicing as the first-string left tackle all spring in Thomas’ absence.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 17 June 2025
With the second-string defense facing the first-string offense, QB Bryce Young tried to fit a laser pass through the middle of traffic, and Rozeboom — who spent the past four years with the Los Angeles Rams — batted the ball in the air.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 13 June 2025
Newcomers Jason Pinnock and Richie Grant served as the first-string safeties.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 30 May 2025
All five first-string Pacers (Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner) complement one another.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 19 May 2025
After one year as a reserve, he was elevated to Vince Lombardi's first-string defense the following season.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 27 July 2025
Young guys typically have to earn their way to first-string snaps.
—Jesse Newell, Kansas City Star, 26 July 2025
Breslow and his scouts stole a first-string catcher, Carlos Narvaez, from the Yankees, who’d had him in their minor league system since 2015.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 16 July 2025
Hudson has been practicing as the first-string left tackle all spring in Thomas’ absence.
—Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 17 June 2025
With the second-string defense facing the first-string offense, QB Bryce Young tried to fit a laser pass through the middle of traffic, and Rozeboom — who spent the past four years with the Los Angeles Rams — batted the ball in the air.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 13 June 2025
Newcomers Jason Pinnock and Richie Grant served as the first-string safeties.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 30 May 2025
All five first-string Pacers (Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner) complement one another.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 19 May 2025
After one year as a reserve, he was elevated to Vince Lombardi's first-string defense the following season.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for first-string
Adjective
-
The Del Mar Water Polo Club sees enormous potential in their athletes because all of the teams that qualified for the USA Water Polo Junior Olympics competed with excellent results.—
Katherine Anderson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Aug. 2025
-
Fatty fish are excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, which help lower inflammation and reduce blood lipid and blood pressure levels.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Of the newcomers, Jacinto makes a real impression here as does Hammons, who as Lily is also dealing with the loss of her own mother, and the terrific Butters, who was so good in Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and now gets to grow up.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
5 Aug. 2025
-
Justine becomes a frequent customer there, hitting the vodka hard and coaxing her occasional hookup, young cop Paul (Alden Ehrenreich, terrific), to slide off the wagon.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Originally an invite-only spot, the Notting Hill pub is worth a visit for its delicious pub bites, stellar martinis and incredible people watching.—
Rachel Dube,
Forbes.com,
3 Aug. 2025
-
That’s more than anyone could have predicted after the event pic opening to $117.6 million last weekend amid stellar audience and critical reaction.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
What kind of player are Bayern getting? Perhaps lost in the deal’s context and its contributing factors is Diaz being a superb player.—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor,
New York Times,
30 July 2025
-
Drawing upon the legacy of both the company’s founder as well as the taste and horological inclinations of Daniel Roth, these 1990s-era wristwatches are superb examples of thoughtful haute horlogerie.—
Oren Hartov,
Robb Report,
30 July 2025
Adjective
-
With a solid data foundation, external factors like fuel prices or carrier availability can be incorporated into planning with greater confidence.—
Clemente Theotokis,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
-
But the need to tell America’s stories has never been greater.—
Carrie Lozano,
HollywoodReporter,
31 July 2025
Adjective
-
Brad Schmitt Hey there, new neighbors, and welcome back to our intro to Nashville and all the wonderful things the city has to offer you.—
Brad Schmitt,
The Tennessean,
26 July 2025
-
Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.—
Aysha Bagchi,
USA Today,
26 July 2025
Adjective
-
The friendly birds are sometimes hand-fed, eating salmon, shrimp and prime rib scraps from the hotel.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
25 July 2025
-
Situated on prime beachfront lots, the five- and six-bedroom villas from The Beach Collection range from 7,300 to 8,500 square feet and offer unparalleled privacy and exclusivity.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
25 July 2025
Adjective
-
There’s always been this vibrant, youthful energy and purpose to Oxford that is contained within these ancient buildings which is so, so lovely.—
Lexy Perez,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Aug. 2025
-
Luckily, as our experts explained, the rest of the country is just as lovely as these hubs.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“First-string.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/first-string. Accessed 8 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share