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
When Stanley Tucci isn’t busy making hit movies like The Devil Wears Prada 2, he can often be found in Italy, the land of his forebears.
—
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 30 May 2026
The scene recalled the gruesome rampages of the RSF’s forebears, the janjaweed militias who terrorized Sudan’s Darfur region a generation ago.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
Absent the lush melancholy of classic synth-pop, what Hervé and Amato had in common with their forbears was a spirit of innovation rooted in profound laziness.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 23 May 2026
Located where a Thompson Hotel once operated, 1 Hotel Toronto couldn’t be more distinct aesthetically from its retro-modern forebear.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for forebear
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 30 May 2026
The scene recalled the gruesome rampages of the RSF’s forebears, the janjaweed militias who terrorized Sudan’s Darfur region a generation ago.
—Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 24 May 2026
Absent the lush melancholy of classic synth-pop, what Hervé and Amato had in common with their forbears was a spirit of innovation rooted in profound laziness.
—Walden Green, Pitchfork, 23 May 2026
Located where a Thompson Hotel once operated, 1 Hotel Toronto couldn’t be more distinct aesthetically from its retro-modern forebear.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for forebear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forebear
Noun
-
Mesa Verde continues to hold great cultural significance for the 27 pueblos and tribes whose ancestors once called the canyons, farms, cliffside and mesa dwellings home or who have other ties to the area.—
Alia Beard Rau,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
During the Early Devonian Period, life on land was still relatively new, and many of the ancestors of modern vertebrates had yet to emerge from the water.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Noun
-
Her grandfather, Ub Iwerks, helped to design Mickey Mouse, and her father, Don Iwerks, spent 35 years as a camera technician at the company.—
Matthew Jacobs,
HollywoodReporter,
11 June 2026
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While his grandfather and father made their living as defensive coaches, Ryan’s specialty has been offense, dating back to his time as a receiver on Clemson’s 2016 National Championship team.—
Antwan Staley,
New York Daily News,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
His father then held the seat from 2003 until 2011.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
-
Similarly compelling is ‘Home Going,’ in which Clemmons traces her father’s family’s migration to Los Angeles in the 1970s, motivated by the promise of economic opportunities that had previously seemed out of reach for Black people.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forebear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forebear. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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