patriarchs

plural of patriarch
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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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 patriarchs The patriarchs of élite white families banded together, organizing secret paramilitaries that could be activated on a moment’s notice. Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 3 July 2026 Sometimes finding the right trees can be an adventure, hiking into forests and mountains to find the oldest trees, patriarchs that hold centuries of information. Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 28 June 2026 Instead, Reynolds observes that these sober men bore little resemblance to the roistering patriarchs of the remote plantations. James Traub, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026 The road continues from Beersheba to Hebron, home to the Cave of the Patriarchs, purchased by Abraham some 3,800 years ago and traditionally regarded as the resting place of the biblical patriarchs and matriarchs. Amelie Botbol, FOXNews.com, 17 June 2026 Rebekah, in the Hebrew Bible, matriarch who is the wife of Isaac and the mother of Jacob, both key patriarchs. Charles Preston, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Mar. 2026 What father would ever allow such devastation, assuring fellow patriarchs that their lives without sons would be ruined forever? David John Chávez, Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2026 After that session, the three patriarchs began reaching out to other heavyweight clans. Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 27 Dec. 2025 In addition to Leo and Bartholomew, the participants of the commemorative service included priests, patriarchs and bishops from Orthodox Greek, Syrian, Coptic, Malankarese, Armenian, Protestant and Anglican churches. Arkansas Online, 29 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for patriarchs
Noun
  • In conversation with my friends, the stories had amazing similarities — fathers separated from their children under challenging circumstances.
    Nia Bowers, USA Today, 7 July 2026
  • When two young lovers find themselves up against stubborn, money-minded fathers, Scapin jumps into action with outrageous tricks, bold lies, and comic chaos at every turn.
    Ut Community Press, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 July 2026
Noun
  • College football is nothing without traditions (see above), and ripping Notre Dame-USC from the calendar robs the next generation of fans of both schools from enjoying the game their fathers and grandfathers remember.
    Pete Sampson, New York Times, 26 June 2026
  • One of his great-great-grandfathers, Ned, was enslaved in Texas before being freed on Juneteenth.
    Calista Oetama, Hartford Courant, 22 June 2026
Noun
  • Like, Wow, married moms and dads can be saying things like that.
    Devon Ivie, Vulture, 10 July 2026
  • Bouaddi’s maturity and leadership skills won him many admirers at the club – including among his team-mates’ mums and dads.
    Tom Williams, New York Times, 9 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Patriarchs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/patriarchs. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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