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
Yu, who died last year, had forebears.
—
Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Parks is known for paying homage to her forebears, and so Ambiguous Desire is also the result of extensive research into The Loft, Studio 54, and the history of raving.
—Aimee Cliff, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2026
The 2027 coupe that paraded around Sebring—paired with forebears from C2, C4, C6, and C7 generations of the Corvette—is highlighted by the return of Admiral Blue Metallic paint to the family line.
—Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 26 Mar. 2026
The Seder provides many different ways to engage with the language, often alongside older generations who acquired varying degrees of proficiency from their forebears.
—Bryan Kirschen, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026
Steinmuller followed his forebears into the shipping industry.
—Eric Boodman, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026
There is plenty about Norris to make fun of, but I’d be thrilled if today’s MAGA bros honored their forbears and were slightly less histrionic.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
That was how so many of their forebears settled here, having survived slavery and Jim Crow, working land some of the families own to this day.
—Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2026
McNair spoke, unsuccessfully, before an Alabama Legislature that wanted to limit how schools teach events, such as the bombing that killed her sister, lest White children feel guilt for the sins of their forebears.
—John Archibald, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 2026
Eric Klinenberg, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026
Parks is known for paying homage to her forebears, and so Ambiguous Desire is also the result of extensive research into The Loft, Studio 54, and the history of raving.
—Aimee Cliff, Pitchfork, 3 Apr. 2026
The 2027 coupe that paraded around Sebring—paired with forebears from C2, C4, C6, and C7 generations of the Corvette—is highlighted by the return of Admiral Blue Metallic paint to the family line.
—Lawrence Ulrich, Robb Report, 26 Mar. 2026
The Seder provides many different ways to engage with the language, often alongside older generations who acquired varying degrees of proficiency from their forebears.
—Bryan Kirschen, The Conversation, 25 Mar. 2026
Steinmuller followed his forebears into the shipping industry.
—Eric Boodman, Vulture, 25 Mar. 2026
There is plenty about Norris to make fun of, but I’d be thrilled if today’s MAGA bros honored their forbears and were slightly less histrionic.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
That was how so many of their forebears settled here, having survived slavery and Jim Crow, working land some of the families own to this day.
—Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Washington Post, 19 Mar. 2026
McNair spoke, unsuccessfully, before an Alabama Legislature that wanted to limit how schools teach events, such as the bombing that killed her sister, lest White children feel guilt for the sins of their forebears.
—John Archibald, Southern Living, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forebears
Noun
-
The find provides the first direct fossil evidence that early mammal ancestors laid eggs.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Apr. 2026
-
But did the earliest ancestors of mammals also reproduce through eggs?—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
College-age amateurs competing alongside former champions old enough to be their grandfathers is a longstanding Masters tradition.—
Jack Leo,
AJC.com,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Robert Pelot, the owner of Pelot’s Rexall Pharmacy, said it’s been in his family since one of his great-grandfathers moved to the Bradenton area from Indiana in the late 1800s.—
Amaia Gavica,
Miami Herald,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
At this, the two strangers returned to a parallel silence for the rest of the flight, both of them thinking about their fathers while trying to think of something else.—
Catherine Lacey,
New Yorker,
5 Apr. 2026
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So, to help fathers and other male caregivers feel more comfortable sharing their experiences, some Parent Cafes this year will be facilitated by male hosts, a recent news release from the health department said.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forebears.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forebears. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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