as in fathers
a man who is the head of a family
Investors worried that the aging patriarch was soon to be replaced atop the family business by his less reliable oldest son.
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Recent Examples of patriarchs
Forty years after opening, Union Square Cafe is one of the prosperous patriarchs of the New York restaurant world.
—
Christine Muhlke, Air Mail, 20 Sep. 2025
Popes and Orthodox patriarchs honor him, and Pärt’s music has received the highest levels of recognition, including Grammy Awards.
—Jeffers Engelhardt, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
Leo drew attention to a joint statement by the Latin and Greek Orthodox patriarchs of Jerusalem, who announced that the priests and nuns in the two Christian churches in Gaza City would stay put, despite Israeli evacuation orders ahead of the Gaza City offensive.
—Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
The ladle in a kitchen drawer leads her to the Big Dipper and Joseph’s pit and the wells dug by the patriarchs in the book of Genesis.
—Ilana Kurshan, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2025
Christine Muhlke, Air Mail, 20 Sep. 2025
Popes and Orthodox patriarchs honor him, and Pärt’s music has received the highest levels of recognition, including Grammy Awards.
—Jeffers Engelhardt, The Conversation, 10 Sep. 2025
Leo drew attention to a joint statement by the Latin and Greek Orthodox patriarchs of Jerusalem, who announced that the priests and nuns in the two Christian churches in Gaza City would stay put, despite Israeli evacuation orders ahead of the Gaza City offensive.
—Nicole Winfield, Chicago Tribune, 27 Aug. 2025
The ladle in a kitchen drawer leads her to the Big Dipper and Joseph’s pit and the wells dug by the patriarchs in the book of Genesis.
—Ilana Kurshan, The Atlantic, 24 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patriarchs
Noun
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In fact, some famous fathers have doubled that average age, becoming dads past the age of 65.—
Sari Hitchins,
Parents,
7 Nov. 2025
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Husbands and fathers were supposed to meet their major needs for food, shelter, and clothing.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In his latest partnership with Ancestry as part of the organization’s Thank You for Your Service campaign, Bass got to learn even more about both of his grandfathers’ service in the war.—
Stephen Daw,
Billboard,
5 Nov. 2025
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Civil Code Section 4740 grandfathers rental prohibitions, while Section 4741 bans rental prohibitions and unreasonable restrictions.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Hovering moms and dads are following their kids all the way to campus.—
Russell Shaw,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
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Luiz Baptista wrote on a fan account’s Father’s Day post dedicated to the couple’s dads on June 15.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Patriarchs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patriarchs. Accessed 18 Nov. 2025.
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