forebears

noun

variants also forbears
plural of forebear
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of forebears Pulling on a long rope of influences that begins with the Wilsons and runs through British prog, bedroom pop, and chillwave, Doomed is a serene and satisfying collection which, like its forebears, makes a personal matter of universal consciousness. — Ryan Meehan, Pitchfork, 26 Oct. 2026 Their forebears at the Academy snubbed canonical documentaries like The Thin Blue Line, Roger & Me, and Hoop Dreams. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026 First our forebears began to imitate peers learned behaviors, creating group norms that supported coordinated work. — Michael Morris, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026 Plant paid special attention to forebears and contemporaries. — Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026 Some of his forebears emigrated before the genocide; others barely got out. — Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 19 July 2026 Over the years, a number of prominent mathematicians tried to prove this guess of their forebears. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 14 July 2026 Their trajectories have diverged and sometimes overlapped in the 125 years since their forebears moved through the same dusty streets on one November day. — CBS News, 12 July 2026 For anyone wanting to see or experience the sites and vestiges of Miami’s ancient inhabitants, the people known as Tequesta and their even more enigmatic Archaic forebears, there are only a few places to go. — Andres Viglucci, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forebears
  1. ancestors
  2. grandfathers
  3. fathers
Noun
  • Athorp’s easygoing, unassuming demeanor belies his decades-long experience and expertise, which are rooted in the knowledge passed down by his Indigenous ancestors.
    — Kate Nelson, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
  • According to family history, DaCosta Levy’s family lineage traced to Portugal, where his ancestors had been mariners — almost certainly Sephardic Jews who scattered across the Atlantic world after the Inquisition.
    — Zachary Kranc, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of ancestors
Noun
  • Quimby’s mom, grandmother, both grandfathers and friends all contributed, with friends traveling from Maine and Naples to help with the finishing touches.
    — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 1 Nov. 2026
  • This is not uncommon here on the northern edge of the Iron Range, where many locals had fathers or grandfathers who worked underground before subsequent generations pivoted to tourism.
    — Story Hinckley, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of grandfathers
Noun
  • Soon the fathers, mothers and grandparents cheering girls’ soccer teams will exchange their uncomfortable folding chairs for the hard bleacher seats of indoor soccer or basketball.
    — Christine Ledbetter, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Roughly 24 hours after the fathers told the court about the surrogate giving birth, Uthmeier’s office petitioned to intervene as a party in the court case.
    — Romy Ellenbogen Herald, Miami Herald, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of fathers

Browse Nearby Words

forebearers
forebears
forebode
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Cite this Entry

“Forebears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forebears. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

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