as in first
coming before all others in time or order
you've resolved my initial complaint, but now I have a new question
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of initial
Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026
Nearly half the carcasses were visited by at least one raven within seven days of the initial kill.
—Nidhi Sharma, Popular Science, 12 Mar. 2026
Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 19 Aug. 2025
One ballot was tossed out because it wasn’t initialed by an election judge, and Balich won the position via a lottery.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for initial
Adjective
Arizona freshman guard Brayden Burries quickly made his mark by scoring seven of the Wildcats’ first 12 points, leading the team to a strong 12-2 start before the initial media timeout.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026
Nearly half the carcasses were visited by at least one raven within seven days of the initial kill.
—Nidhi Sharma, Popular Science, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
The documents largely amount to a memorandum of understanding, with the two countries’ foreign ministers initialling a peace agreement, and Aliyev and Pashinyan signing a joint declaration to pursue a lasting peace.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 19 Aug. 2025
One ballot was tossed out because it wasn’t initialed by an election judge, and Balich won the position via a lottery.
—Michelle Mullins, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for initial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for initial
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, for the GOP nomination for secretary of state, Harris and Adamczyk were vying for the right to compete against Giannoulias, a first-term incumbent, in November’s general election.—
Jonathan Bullington,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2026
-
This Revive formula lived up to its name, adding more shine, bounce, and control after the very first use.—
Catharine Malzahn,
Glamour,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Now open 365 days, as the sign on Olympic Boulevard states, Santee Alley is our very own bazaar.—
Lilliam Rivera,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
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But the $280 million, all or a portion, would only be paid out if states sign on to the deal.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Some of this is inevitable — the original cadre of settlers who remember fleeing to the island with the hope of retaking the mainland has all but died off.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
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After all, orchestrating pre-arranged scores is far easier than composing original music from scratch.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Trump has endorsed a GOP primary challenger to Massie, Ed Gallrein.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Fuentes has offered Fishback’s more positive poll results as proof of the strength of his own following, the Groypers, while declining to endorse him in an effort to stanch the candidate’s toxicity.—
Dan Adler,
Vanity Fair,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Mostly gone are the staff’s personal foibles and follies, but vanished, too, is the post-COVID-19 despair that hung over the inaugural episodes like an aerosol haze.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
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In March 2024, Rivian revealed that the midsize R2 would be made alongside its inaugural lines in Illinois, putting plans to build a $5 billion Georgia plant on hold.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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White read an open letter to Redzepi, which included a list of demands co-authored by One Fair Wage.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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Proposed in February, the Assembly Bill 1744 is co-authored by Assemblymembers Gregg Hart, D-Santa Barbara, and Dawn Addis, D-Morro Bay.—
Chaewon Chung,
Sacbee.com,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Trump has similarly fumed at Thune, going so far as to refuse to sign bills until the SAVE America Act reaches his desk.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
17 Mar. 2026
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The 34-year-old Panarin subsequently signed a two-year, $22 million extension with Los Angeles.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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All seven of Regent Seven Seas’ small luxury cruise ships, the newest of which is Seven Seas Prestige, whose maiden voyage is slated for the end of the year, carry between 496 and 850 guests.—
Susan B. Barnes,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2026
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Elon Musk said SpaceX is pushing back even further the maiden launch of the company's next version of its gigantic and powerful Starship rocket.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Initial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/initial. Accessed 19 Mar. 2026.
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