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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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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The forerunner of British Invasion took the summit of American entertainment, which was a huge deal across generations.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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Manufactured between 1960 and 1980, Scouts were beefy 4x4s and a forerunner to the SUV.—
Justin Wingerter,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But now, a series of tea parties with an ape named Kanzi suggests some of our closest ancestors may have this ability too.—
Suzanne Nuyen,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2026
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The findings also suggest that herbivory evolved independently in several different groups of early land vertebrates, not just in the ancestors of modern reptiles.—
Lily Hautau,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Commercial prediction markets have resisted efforts by states to classify and regulate them as gambling companies, insisting that they — like their precursor in Iowa — should be overseen by federal regulators.—
Suzy Khimm,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
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There’s a direct line from Licklider’s work to ARPANET, a precursor to the internet and World Wide Web, through the work of Robert Taylor, Doug Engelbart, Ted Nelson, and Tim Berners-Lee.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Granddaddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/granddaddy. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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