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
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Recent Examples of forebears
The Dracula of Bram Stoker’s novel, a sophisticated aristocrat, remains, like his forebears, an unwelcome stranger.
—
Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
The Dutch — forebears of our city and exemplars of cycling culture — require fast e-bikes to be licensed and insured as mopeds.
—Sameer Butt, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
These names tie us to our forebears, in this case by reminding us of older ways of keeping time.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026
Those philosophers are better considered the forebears of the more august tradition of criticizing stuff without doing it first.
—Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025
Emily Cooper may have a standout wardrobe of her own, but Lily Collins is paying homage to her fashionable forebears.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 10 Dec. 2025
Like its forebears, the comedy is played dead-straight.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
Yet while most wound up being little more than footnotes in the books, Lamborghini managed to build a new mid-engined monster that would prove a successful successor to its forebears on children’s bedroom walls and in rich men’s driveways alike.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 6 Nov. 2025
This multihyphenate job description instantly puts Sennott under the same spotlight as her forebears Lena Dunham and Issa Rae, women who were also given the golden ticket of a series on TV’s most prestigious platform at a strikingly young age.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 30 Oct. 2025
Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
The Dutch — forebears of our city and exemplars of cycling culture — require fast e-bikes to be licensed and insured as mopeds.
—Sameer Butt, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
These names tie us to our forebears, in this case by reminding us of older ways of keeping time.
—Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026
Those philosophers are better considered the forebears of the more august tradition of criticizing stuff without doing it first.
—Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025
Emily Cooper may have a standout wardrobe of her own, but Lily Collins is paying homage to her fashionable forebears.
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 10 Dec. 2025
Like its forebears, the comedy is played dead-straight.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 4 Dec. 2025
Yet while most wound up being little more than footnotes in the books, Lamborghini managed to build a new mid-engined monster that would prove a successful successor to its forebears on children’s bedroom walls and in rich men’s driveways alike.
—Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 6 Nov. 2025
This multihyphenate job description instantly puts Sennott under the same spotlight as her forebears Lena Dunham and Issa Rae, women who were also given the golden ticket of a series on TV’s most prestigious platform at a strikingly young age.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 30 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forebears
Noun
-
Susanne Hammel-Sawyer grew up in Santa Barbara knowing nearly nothing about the traditions of her Chumash ancestors.—
Jeanette Marantos,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
-
In October 2024, the lab firm used genealogical mapping, in which unidentified DNA is traced to relatives and ancestors to produce a more precise genetic profile and possible identity, to point to Contreras, according to the affidavit.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Their twins—John and William, named for their grandfathers—were lost.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Nov. 2025
-
In his latest partnership with Ancestry as part of the organization’s Thank You for Your Service campaign, Bass got to learn even more about both of his grandfathers’ service in the war.—
Stephen Daw,
Billboard,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
The teacher hosted career days during which fathers came to tell us about their jobs.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Jan. 2026
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These boys are our future college graduates, workforce, homeowners and fathers.—
Walter Fields,
Baltimore Sun,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forebears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forebears. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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