Thesaurus results for HEIR APPARENT

heir apparent

noun

Definition of heir apparent

as in successor

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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 heir apparent Ryan Coogler, especially after the success of Sinners, feels like the most likely heir apparent. — Rebecca Ford, Vanity Fair, 18 June 2026 There are no elite coaching options on the market right now, but there’s Henderson Silver Knights coach Ryan Craig, who has been treated like the eventual heir apparent for years. — Jesse Granger, New York Times, 15 June 2026 After the disastrous ’24 season, Getz fired White Sox manager Pedro Grifol and hired Rangers bench coach Will Venable, who’d been the heir apparent there to succeed Bruce Bochy. — Bill Madden, New York Daily News, 13 June 2026 Years into the overhaul, Mulally’s then–heir apparent Mark Fields recalled how the CEO had empowered executives to defy Ford’s long-standing culture that buried bad news. — Claire Zillman, Fortune, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for heir apparent

Recent Examples of Synonyms for heir apparent

Noun

Newsom pledged that his final budget would not only close the chronic deficit but leave his successor — presumably Xavier Becerra — with a healthy fiscal situation.

— Dan Walters, Mercury News, 9 July 2026
Even if the next emanation is discovered within months, Tibetans face a perhaps two-decade interregnum while his successor comes of age.

— Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 July 2026

Definition of successor

Noun

On July 7, the Duke of Sussex and a fellow claimant, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, issued a scathing statement following a judge’s dismissal of their case against the Daily Mail’s publisher, Associated Newspapers Limited, which was filed in 2022.

— Hannah Malach, InStyle, 7 July 2026
Harry and the six other high-profile claimants failed to prove their allegations that the publisher unlawfully obtained private information through methods including private investigators, deception, phone hacking and corrupt payments.

— Erin Hill, PEOPLE, 7 July 2026

Definition of claimant

Noun

Mojtaba Khamenei, Khamenei’s son and expectant heir, is notably absent.

— Rena Rowe, The Washington Examiner, 4 July 2026
The Prince of Wales sadly won’t be attending Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce‘s wedding Friday in New York City, but the heir to the British throne nonetheless made sure to offer some royal prestige to events.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 3 July 2026

Definition of heir

Noun

Swift's representative confirmed that the actor-comedian officiated the July 3 ceremony at Madison Square Garden.

— Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 4 July 2026
Some states chose not to send representatives; several of them cited disagreements with the partisan mission.

— Antonia Hitchens, New Yorker, 3 July 2026

Definition of representative

Browse Nearby Words

heir

heir apparent

heir at law

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Style

“Heir apparent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/heir%20apparent. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of heir apparent

noun

Example Sentences

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