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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forebear
In this thoughtful, cautionary tale, the longtime New Yorker magazine staff writer reports on how three generations of his forebears, beginning with his great-grandfather, revolutionized vegetable farming and the frozen food business in southwestern New Jersey.
—
Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 3 June 2025
That family in the $20 million carriage house had been there for generations, having inherited their wealth from forebears who made their fortune in pest control, leaving flypaper impregnated with arsenic around for Freya to store and use for her own purposes.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
The relentless pursuit of shad: Each spring, one family and a group of volunteers haul the bony, oily fish from the Delaware River in a seasonal ritual that honors their forebears.
—James Barron, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Both join a long tradition of women storytellers in Latin America that includes forebears such as Violeta Parra, Mercedes Sosa, Susana Baca and the great cantadoras of Colombia, voices such as Totó La Momposina, Petrona Martínez, ad Etelvina Maldonado, all keepers of the people’s memory.
—Fernando Gonzalez, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forebear
Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor, 3 June 2025
That family in the $20 million carriage house had been there for generations, having inherited their wealth from forebears who made their fortune in pest control, leaving flypaper impregnated with arsenic around for Freya to store and use for her own purposes.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
The relentless pursuit of shad: Each spring, one family and a group of volunteers haul the bony, oily fish from the Delaware River in a seasonal ritual that honors their forebears.
—James Barron, New York Times, 28 Apr. 2025
Both join a long tradition of women storytellers in Latin America that includes forebears such as Violeta Parra, Mercedes Sosa, Susana Baca and the great cantadoras of Colombia, voices such as Totó La Momposina, Petrona Martínez, ad Etelvina Maldonado, all keepers of the people’s memory.
—Fernando Gonzalez, Miami Herald, 1 Apr. 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 8 Jul. 2025.
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