variants
also No. 1
1
as in main
coming before all others in importance
considers international terrorism to be the number one threat to national security
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in excellent
of the very best kind
the company's chocolate is rated as number one by serious chocoholics
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 number one
The question will be, number one is, what are the excesses beyond the insured amounts and the ability to deal with those and the companies, in terms of meeting payrolls?
—
Nbc Universal, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2023
Depositors and workers in the companies whose deposits are in that bank need to be job number one.
—CBS News, 12 Mar. 2023
The city's even earned the rating of number one most stressful for workers in the U.S., according to a recent report.
—Michael Murney, Chron, 8 Mar. 2023
The number one priority in those situations is the health of the player.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for number one
Nbc Universal, NBC News, 12 Mar. 2023
Depositors and workers in the companies whose deposits are in that bank need to be job number one.
—CBS News, 12 Mar. 2023
The city's even earned the rating of number one most stressful for workers in the U.S., according to a recent report.
—Michael Murney, Chron, 8 Mar. 2023
The number one priority in those situations is the health of the player.
—Dalton Ross, EW.com, 2 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for number one
Recent Examples of Synonyms for number one
Adjective
-
Demonstrators flocked to protests around the country to march, stand in crowds or line main streets.—
Sarah D. Wire,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Sirens alerted people to seek shelter in and around Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Beer Sheba and areas near the country’s main nuclear research center, which were targeted by Iranian strikes that injured dozens last weekend.—
Farnoush Amiri,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Horned Frogs had a mix of air raid and veer-and-shoot principles under Briles, but are expected to move more to a pro-style scheme under Sammis, who had excellent success with that style of offense at UConn.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
-
In the pre-show rooms, both real-life actors seen were excellent at interacting with real-life visitors and prerecorded monotone movie stars.—
Dewayne Bevil,
The Orlando Sentinel,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
But simply naming the great fear and sharing it with the millions of watchers in living rooms and hotels and airport lobbies was a trial almost too painful to contemplate.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
1 Apr. 2026
-
No substitutions for prize except by Sponsor, in which case a prize of equal or greater value will be substituted.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The teams got invaluable data — and some wonderful video too.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Books Are Magic, a wonderful bookshop owned by novelist Emma Staub, alone could suck up an entire morning.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The primary retreat anchors dual bathrooms, a private salon and an oversized dressing room.—
Sandra Barrera,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
-
But the May 5 Democratic primary election, which pits a progressive newcomer and a longtime political gadfly against an incumbent with strong ties to Indy Democrats, could act as a proxy for voters' feelings about the party establishment.—
Jordan Smith,
IndyStar,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
There’s a terrific movie buried in a two-and-a-half-hour runtime — which cost him a competition slot at Venice.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Both Pavel Zacha and Elias Lindholm scored two goals apiece and Jeremy Swayman made 31 saves for a terrific win.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Television continues to be the predominant medium in India, reaching approximately 745 million individuals weekly.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Dark green is the predominant color in this manicure even though a black shade serves as the base.—
Kara Jillian Brown,
InStyle,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Disciples of Soul were awesome; great horns and backup singers.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The mentality, the approaches, have all been awesome.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Number one.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/number%20one. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
