variants
also grandaddy
as in ancestor
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
the granddaddy of all English mystery novels
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Recent Examples of granddaddy
Now, there is (to our knowledge) no official record — there is certainly no official method for timing applause — but it’s roundly considered that Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 fantasy drama Pan’s Labyrinth is the granddaddy of them all at 22 minutes.
—
Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 13 May 2025
The granddaddy of all medical dramas ran from 1994 to 2009, for 15 old-school, network-length seasons on NBC.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025
Well, the granddaddy of them all was former President Gerald Ford's pardon of former President Richard Nixon in 1974 for allegations or accusations associated with the Watergate scandal.
—Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025
The Greatest @Home Videos, of course, is an offshoot from the granddaddy of the clips genre, America’s Funniest Home Videos, which has been a staple on ABC for the last 25 years.
—Marc Berman, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for granddaddy
Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 13 May 2025
The granddaddy of all medical dramas ran from 1994 to 2009, for 15 old-school, network-length seasons on NBC.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2025
Well, the granddaddy of them all was former President Gerald Ford's pardon of former President Richard Nixon in 1974 for allegations or accusations associated with the Watergate scandal.
—Dana Taylor, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025
The Greatest @Home Videos, of course, is an offshoot from the granddaddy of the clips genre, America’s Funniest Home Videos, which has been a staple on ABC for the last 25 years.
—Marc Berman, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for granddaddy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for granddaddy
Noun
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As Charles Handy explained in The Age of Paradox, modern life forces us to navigate complexities our ancestors never faced, such as the tension between efficiency and humanity or between individual freedom and collective responsibility.—
Shane Enete,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
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Throughout the middle passage, it has been said that our ancestors wove familiar items such as beads, shells, or even seeds and grains from home into their braids, to keep with them along their journeys.—
Essence,
Essence,
19 June 2025
Noun
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This is, in part, explained by the institutional memory of the competition’s forerunner — the Intercontinental Cup — and the legendary battles of a bygone era.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
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Another forerunner of today’s scene is Ansedonia, a hillside community of upscale homes near Capalbio that in the 1960s became popular with creative types from the Italian capital.—
Lee Marshall,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Times staff writer Lila Seidman reports that a May 27 legal opinion by President Trump’s DOJ overturns a more than 80-year-old Justice Department determination that presidents can’t revoke national monuments created by their predecessors under the Antiquities Act.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2025
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Mousavi was appointed the chief of staff of the Iranian armed forces after the Israelis killed his predecessor, Gen. Mohammad Bagheri, last week.—
NBC News,
NBC news,
18 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Granddaddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/granddaddy. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.
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