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
Reuters, CNN Money, 20 June 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
Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Our initial search did not yield anything.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for initial
Adjective
The two countries and the United States said on Wednesday that their technical teams initialed a draft peace agreement that is expected to be signed next week.
—Reuters, CNN Money, 20 June 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
Verb
But as Sollima noted to TIME, no perpetrator has been sentenced for all eight double homicides, and the initial suspects sent police in circles while the bodies kept piling up.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 25 Oct. 2025
Our initial search did not yield anything.
—JSTOR Daily, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for initial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for initial
Adjective
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Tim Curry of Rocky Horror Picture Show fame memorably gave the dancing clown its first breath in a 1990 miniseries co-written and directed by Tommy Lee Wallace.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Oct. 2025
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The Flames, meanwhile, are still searching for their first win at home after starting their season 1-6-0.—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Los Angeles, and now a working movie star again (soon to star alongside Timothée Chalamet in A24’s £50 million Marty Supreme), Paltrow feels as much a part of Hollywood’s landscape as that sign on the hills.—
Daniel Rodgers,
Vogue,
27 Oct. 2025
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The breakfast and lunch destination debuted in late August but finally got its sign on the building in early October, according to its Instagram page.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
While the show has since been rebooted to include the original cast's spouses and children, Polizzi said a lot of people refuse to see her as anything other than an early 2000s-era party girl.—
Hadley Hitson,
Nashville Tennessean,
27 Oct. 2025
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The series sticks with the timeline of Muschietti's movies rather than King's book, meaning the original Losers Club encounter with It takes place in 1989 rather than 1958, and the final battle in 2016 rather than 1985.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The inaugural Wonder Project | Stand Together Fellowship was awarded to Christopher Holt for his script 27 Cows.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
25 Oct. 2025
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On this day in 1985, the Kings played their first game in Sacramento, opening their inaugural season in California’s capitol city with a 108-104 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers before a sellout crowd of 10,333 at Arco Arena.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The municipal panel that oversees the Little Rock Water Reclamation Authority endorsed the five-year rate plan in June.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 Oct. 2025
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Nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse any individuals or entities featured on the episodes.—
Fortune Editors,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Proposal would strengthen language in state constitution A third proposal authored by Green and Jacque would strengthen language in Article I of the state constitution, which establishes a right to keep and bear arms.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
20 Oct. 2025
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And in the process, his feel for his pitcher in the moment helped to author what became the latest flourish in what has been a memorable October.—
Mitch Bannon,
New York Times,
17 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Gonzalez fouled Brunson once but otherwise held up respectably against the Knicks star in his maiden shift.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
25 Oct. 2025
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Despite falling short 24-21 against the Cardinals, Miami will hope for better fortune against the Cardinals in what will be the maiden meeting between these programs.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Earlier that day a few volunteers at our Joni and Friends Retreat for special needs families signed her up for the children's group.—
Joni Eareckson Tada,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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By then, Palace’s priority was signing a replacement.—
Matt Woosnam,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Initial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/initial. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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