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
God willing, this legal reckoning will come before Republicans descend into barbarism on the scale of their ideological forebears.
—
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
In 2018, Artforum ran a convincing essay by Canada Choate about the album as a forebear to Charli XCX’s meta-pop experiments.
—Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 15 Feb. 2026
While not the biggest change from its forbear, the 40 Series face would go on to become iconic, its round headlights within a white grille surround defining the model in the public’s eye.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 5 Feb. 2026
But beneath the surface, new technology promises Artemis astronauts mobility on the moon that their Apollo-era forebears could only dream about.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forebear
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 24 Feb. 2026
In 2018, Artforum ran a convincing essay by Canada Choate about the album as a forebear to Charli XCX’s meta-pop experiments.
—Andy Cush, Pitchfork, 15 Feb. 2026
While not the biggest change from its forbear, the 40 Series face would go on to become iconic, its round headlights within a white grille surround defining the model in the public’s eye.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 5 Feb. 2026
But beneath the surface, new technology promises Artemis astronauts mobility on the moon that their Apollo-era forebears could only dream about.
—K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 5 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for forebear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forebear
Noun
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Intelligent, tool-using species — including our direct ancestors — have been around for millions of years.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Uncovering an ancient ancestor At first, scientists thought the ancient microbial ancestor of complex life was a simple cell, dwelling in oxygen-free environments.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Born to a mom of Filipino descent and a father of Creole heritage, Arkapaw talked about her family's history and how her grandfather, Guillermo Pagan Bautista, was also a storyteller in his own right.—
Angeline Jane Bernabe,
ABC News,
5 Mar. 2026
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Boni’s is named for Maher’s great-grandfather, Bonaficio, a native of Spain who eventually settled in New Jersey, and the cocktail and bar snacks menus take their cues from the southwestern European country where Maher studied abroad in college.—
Matthew Odam,
Austin American Statesman,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Koy, the son of a white father and Filipina mother, saw comedy as a way to channel an overactive personality and need to make people laugh into a career.—
Deputy Entertainment,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
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The poll surveyed 977 caregivers of children 13 and younger, including 53% biological mothers and 33% biological fathers, with the remaining participants including stepparents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.—
Lily Hautau,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forebear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forebear. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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