as in excellent
of the very best kind
a first-string rendition of the musical piece
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Recent Examples of first-string
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
The rest of the first-string offensive line included Julian Armella at right guard, Sam Yoon at center and Courtland Ford at left tackle.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
The Packers did not play their first-string offense.
—Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 18 Aug. 2024
As first-string quarterback Claire Heisinger watched on crutches from the sideline, Addison Kloch, who is an elite golfer, filled in admirably for the Chargers.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2024
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
The rest of the first-string offensive line included Julian Armella at right guard, Sam Yoon at center and Courtland Ford at left tackle.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
The Packers did not play their first-string offense.
—Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 18 Aug. 2024
As first-string quarterback Claire Heisinger watched on crutches from the sideline, Addison Kloch, who is an elite golfer, filled in admirably for the Chargers.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for first-string
Adjective
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Performance has also been excellent so far compared to peers and a benchmark index.—
Jesse Pound,
CNBC,
11 July 2025
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There is not a lot of room, but the midfielder is excellent at operating in tight spaces.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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Smartphone Deals An ultra-bright screen, terrific build quality, and powerful AI tools made the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL a winner in our book, and our expert gave it an excellent rating in our review.—
Jade Chung-Lee,
PC Magazine,
12 July 2025
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The Packers failed to build on their terrific finish to the 2023 campaign, settled for the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs, and lost a Wild Card game to eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
Adjective
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General Manager Jeff Smith and marketing guru Gus Tejeda proved to be amiable and welcoming hosts on what must have been cause for a huge sigh of relief after so much advance planning – but the evening went down without a hitch and the food and drinks were simply stellar.—
David Weiss,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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Watts appeared in two campaigns last year for the Rodeo and Bel Air handbags, alongside Isabelle Huppert and Kim Kardashian, who were part of this season’s stellar runway cast.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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Signed last summer from AC Monza for a fee of €18 million ($19.49 million), Di Gregorio looks like a superb signing already worth far more than that initial transfer fee.—
Adam Digby,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
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Michael Busch did the most damage, going 4-for-4 with three homers and five RBIs, continuing his quiet development into a superb all-around first baseman.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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This is a great NBA Summer League matchup; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
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Santangelo is a member of the Giants broadcast team and a host on KNBR 680 AM and 104.5 FM in San Francisco, where every day is a great day to discuss baseball.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
7 July 2025
Adjective
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Colleagues, mentors and friends are wonderful sources of feedback.—
Kim Salem-Jackson,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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Favorite collections: Dior, Willy Chavarria, Craig Green, Lemaire and Officine Générale Best show format: The glorious city of Paris and its surroundings were on wonderful display this show season.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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As a prime example, within the automotive industry, development cycles can take years—by design rather than inefficiency—and as a result extending the time required to integrate into the system and become part of the production process.—
Nicole LeBlanc,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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The menu features a range of prime steaks, from classic filet mignon to specialty A5 Japanese wagyu strip, and a line of seafood appetizers and entrees.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
30 June 2025
Adjective
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Cue people lining up to declare what a lovely touch this was, the problem being that the reports turned out not to be true and were based on a misinterpretation of something the Fiorentina president said.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
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This jar candle has a lovely fragrance reminiscent of a tropical island, featuring citrus, florals and vanilla elements.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“First-string.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/first-string. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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