variants
also forbears
as in ancestors
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forebears
People grew accustomed to the expectation that each generation would surpass the horizons of their forebears.
—
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
Eight Dukes of Wellington and two very full centuries on from that 1825 procession, on this June 16, the 9th Duke rode, as each of his forbears did and as the future heirs to the ducal title will do, in the lead carriage with the king to open Royal Ascot.
—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Since then, Istanbul has seen only mayors from his AKP party and its forebears, the Welfare and Virtue parties.
—
Kaya Genç,
The Dial,
9 June 2026
In 1786, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson visited the site to see where, almost a century and a half earlier, their forebears had fought to dethrone a king, showing the world that another system of government was possible.
—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2026
Reopening the door to China in 1972, Richard Nixon reawakened his forebears’ dream of making China embrace American-style democracy and capitalism.
—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
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
Hua Hsu,
New Yorker,
22 June 2026
Eight Dukes of Wellington and two very full centuries on from that 1825 procession, on this June 16, the 9th Duke rode, as each of his forbears did and as the future heirs to the ducal title will do, in the lead carriage with the king to open Royal Ascot.
—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Since then, Istanbul has seen only mayors from his AKP party and its forebears, the Welfare and Virtue parties.
—
Kaya Genç,
The Dial,
9 June 2026
In 1786, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson visited the site to see where, almost a century and a half earlier, their forebears had fought to dethrone a king, showing the world that another system of government was possible.
—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2026
Reopening the door to China in 1972, Richard Nixon reawakened his forebears’ dream of making China embrace American-style democracy and capitalism.
—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forebears
Noun
-
Goodhouse recalled stories his grandfather would tell him of their ancestors who were in the Hunkpapa camp when troops attacked.
-
These findings suggest that throughout great ape evolution, our ancestors gradually developed more control over the timing of their vocalizations, including laughter.
Noun
-
One of his great-great-grandfathers, Ned, was enslaved in Texas before being freed on Juneteenth.
-
Happy Father’s Day to fathers everywhere — birth fathers, stepfathers, adoptive and foster fathers, grandfathers, and all of you caring men who mentor children and fill the role of absent dads.
Noun
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While some of the wives wouldn’t bother coming to games every Sunday, Michel said, many of the children saw the Feeney fathers as proper heroes.
-
The play, which was a finalist for the 1998 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, follows three adult children who meet to settle their fathers’ estate, and, in the process, discover secrets about their parents’ lives.
Cite this Entry
“Forebears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forebears. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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