variants
also forbear
as in ancestor
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent
his forebears came to America on the Mayflower
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forebear
Legends brain trust then used animation to flesh out how Shimpo was taken in by Mr. Han’s (Chan) forebears and taught kung fu.
—
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 30 May 2025
But Rowe said this request posed a moral dilemma for the Episcopal Church, which has deep ties to the Anglican Church of Southern Africa and counts the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu—an outspoken opponent of apartheid—among its spiritual forebears.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
Modern Puebloans—whose forebears may have hunted on the high deserts around the Rio Blanco nuclear test site—believe their ancient ancestors first emerged from the underworld.
—Literary Hub, 11 June 2025
Pullman Market follows in the footsteps of Eataly before it, but this complex’s concepts are so much more distinct and delicious than anything that forebear has offered.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for forebear
Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 30 May 2025
But Rowe said this request posed a moral dilemma for the Episcopal Church, which has deep ties to the Anglican Church of Southern Africa and counts the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu—an outspoken opponent of apartheid—among its spiritual forebears.
—Martha McHardy, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 May 2025
Modern Puebloans—whose forebears may have hunted on the high deserts around the Rio Blanco nuclear test site—believe their ancient ancestors first emerged from the underworld.
—Literary Hub, 11 June 2025
Pullman Market follows in the footsteps of Eataly before it, but this complex’s concepts are so much more distinct and delicious than anything that forebear has offered.
—Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for forebear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forebear
Noun
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The gift of 'The Mahabharata' that my ancestors gave me is truly the gift that keeps giving.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
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The same ancestor who founded this homestead left his own family behind in Georgia; that cold resolve is Hailey’s inheritance too.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
1 July 2025
Noun
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His father Jason Richardson spent more than a decade in the NBA, including part of two seasons with the Magic (2010-12).—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 June 2025
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Originally designed in 1895 by Sir Henry Peto—whose father built Nelson’s Column—the grounds have been restored and expanded.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
26 June 2025
Noun
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Roley's grandfather, Dale Roley, told the New York Times on Monday that the suspect was working for a tree company and had expressed interest in becoming a forest firefighter.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
1 July 2025
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The latest is that the 21-year-old’s grandfather, the bullfighter Manuel Torres-Cansino, was a cousin of the American actress Margarita Carmen Cansino, commonly known as Rita Hayworth.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
29 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forebear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forebear. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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