as in father
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent
this tradition has been passed down from our pioneer grandfathers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of grandfather
Laing’s ultimate ambition is to one day acquire McVitie’s, the biscuit brand originally built by his own great-great-grandfather before it was absorbed into a conglomerate.
—
Sam Birchall, Fortune, 10 June 2026
Boneta included a personal touch underneath, a necklace that belonged to his grandfather.
—Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 10 June 2026
In 2019 Jakes launched Jakes Divinity School, named for his paternal grandfather and namesake, Thomas Dexter Jakes.
—Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 June 2026
Most of the men in Curry’s family—including his father and grandfather—had served, but they had been drafted and had not remained in uniform long enough to procure the same benefits that his cousin had.
—Clint Smith, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for grandfather
Sam Birchall, Fortune, 10 June 2026
Boneta included a personal touch underneath, a necklace that belonged to his grandfather.
—Leigh Nordstrom, Footwear News, 10 June 2026
In 2019 Jakes launched Jakes Divinity School, named for his paternal grandfather and namesake, Thomas Dexter Jakes.
—Frannie Comstock, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 June 2026
Most of the men in Curry’s family—including his father and grandfather—had served, but they had been drafted and had not remained in uniform long enough to procure the same benefits that his cousin had.
—Clint Smith, The Atlantic, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for grandfather
Recent Examples of Synonyms for grandfather
Noun
-
His father then held the seat from 2003 until 2011.—
Claire Heddles,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
-
Similarly compelling is ‘Home Going,’ in which Clemmons traces her father’s family’s migration to Los Angeles in the 1970s, motivated by the promise of economic opportunities that had previously seemed out of reach for Black people.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Mesa Verde continues to hold great cultural significance for the 27 pueblos and tribes whose ancestors once called the canyons, farms, cliffside and mesa dwellings home or who have other ties to the area.—
Alia Beard Rau,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
During the Early Devonian Period, life on land was still relatively new, and many of the ancestors of modern vertebrates had yet to emerge from the water.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Grandfather.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/grandfather. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
