variants
also grandaddy
as in forerunner
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
the granddaddy of all English mystery novels
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of granddaddy
Horror anthologies are a tradition in British cinema, and this collection of bite-sized frights is the granddaddy of them all.
—
Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Both the jitterbug and Lindy Hop (which is often referred to as the granddaddy of the swing era dances) are lively, energetic swing dances that involve quick spins, sharp footwork and pure joy between a pair to a booming live band playing.
—Alexa Stone
updated October 21, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2025
In the south of France this weekend, the granddaddy of fashion prizes—The Hyères International Festival of Fashion, Photography, and Accessories—marked its 40th anniversary by showcasing talents from around the world.
—Vogue, 20 Oct. 2025
The Munich Agreement The Munich Agreement – the deal that ceded the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Adolf Hitler’s Germany in a bid to avert war in Europe — is the granddaddy of historical analogies.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for granddaddy
Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Both the jitterbug and Lindy Hop (which is often referred to as the granddaddy of the swing era dances) are lively, energetic swing dances that involve quick spins, sharp footwork and pure joy between a pair to a booming live band playing.
—Alexa Stone
updated October 21, Kansas City Star, 21 Oct. 2025
In the south of France this weekend, the granddaddy of fashion prizes—The Hyères International Festival of Fashion, Photography, and Accessories—marked its 40th anniversary by showcasing talents from around the world.
—Vogue, 20 Oct. 2025
The Munich Agreement The Munich Agreement – the deal that ceded the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia to Adolf Hitler’s Germany in a bid to avert war in Europe — is the granddaddy of historical analogies.
—Nathan Hodge, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for granddaddy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for granddaddy
Noun
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Also like its forerunner, HBO’s latest ends each episode at a moment of peak tension.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
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These were the forerunners of today’s robots.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The tradition of dressing up for the race has been in place since Potts-Joseph’s ancestors were running sleds.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
10 Mar. 2026
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Next, the team wants to use digital reconstruction methods to correct deformation on other parts of the skull, such as the braincase, to reveal insights about the brain size of Little Foot — and potentially unlock clues about the cognitive abilities of our early human ancestors.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Through transforming domestic coal ash into high-value industrial materials, the company is creating downstream manufacturing of end-products such as paper and paper products, textiles, building and construction materials, carbon fiber precursors, automobile parts, airplane parts, and more.—
Nick Franck,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
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The only other casting precursor is the Artios Awards, where OBAA and The Secret Agent were ineligible since their casting directors aren’t members of the Casting Society.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Granddaddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/granddaddy. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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