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
The Magic Books: A History of Enchantment in 20 Medieval Manuscripts
By Anne Lawrence-Mathers
Yale University Press: 368 pages, $38
(March 11)
Our medieval forebears saw nothing inconsistent between devout Christian faith and deep belief in magic.
—
Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2025
Were our forebears any less creative, any less smart?
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 20 Feb. 2025
The problem is that many younger Jews are learning from these works on the internet, not from the yellowing tomes of their forebears.
—Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 28 Jan. 2025
From horses to housewares Santos remembers riding horses up to his family home; for generations, this was a ranch belonging to his forebears.
—David Culver, CNN, 18 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forebear
Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2025
Were our forebears any less creative, any less smart?
—Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 20 Feb. 2025
The problem is that many younger Jews are learning from these works on the internet, not from the yellowing tomes of their forebears.
—Lois K. Solomon, Sun Sentinel, 28 Jan. 2025
From horses to housewares Santos remembers riding horses up to his family home; for generations, this was a ranch belonging to his forebears.
—David Culver, CNN, 18 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forebear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forebear
Noun
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Until recently, the ancestors of insects were thought to be more millipede-like and evolved once invertebrates began to live on land.—
Riley Black,
Smithsonian Magazine,
9 Apr. 2025
-
During the Pleistocene, our ancestors lived through several different ice ages.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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It is understood that father and son didn’t meet before Charles and Camilla headed to Italy.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
14 Apr. 2025
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In 1913, his father acquired the famed Indore Pear diamonds from Chaumet, marking the beginning of a long-standing relationship with the historic Parisian Maison, Christie’s said.—
Anthony DeMarco,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The filmmaker's grandfather on his mother's side, who died before Coogler was born, and his Uncle James, who passed away during the making of Creed, were from Mississippi.—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
28 Jan. 2025
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Following his grandfather’s passing in 2014, Sanders felt an undeniable pull toward music.—
Ethan Stone,
USA TODAY,
28 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forebear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forebear. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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