1
as in main
coming before all others in importance
the primal theme of the essay is toleration of religious diversity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ancient
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period
there was a period of primal idealism after the founding of the republic and before the rise of partisan politics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of primal
The bugs seem to have a primal knowledge of my whereabouts, and a craving for my blood that goes beyond mere thirst.
—
Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026
While the immortal jellyfish evokes our wonder and curiosity, the deep sea and its creatures can often stir a deep, primal fear in us.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
The survival-horror movie comes from two Spanish short-film veterans with Goya nominations and long festival track records, turning bull-running iconography into primal genre material.
—Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 25 May 2026
Jack White, who growled and grinded as the singer/guitarist of the White Stripes and has since positioned himself as a primal rock god on his own, is showing a new side as a sculptor with a show opening in a London gallery run by none other than Damien Hirst.
—Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for primal
Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 27 May 2026
While the immortal jellyfish evokes our wonder and curiosity, the deep sea and its creatures can often stir a deep, primal fear in us.
—Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
The survival-horror movie comes from two Spanish short-film veterans with Goya nominations and long festival track records, turning bull-running iconography into primal genre material.
—Emiliano De Pablos, Variety, 25 May 2026
Jack White, who growled and grinded as the singer/guitarist of the White Stripes and has since positioned himself as a primal rock god on his own, is showing a new side as a sculptor with a show opening in a London gallery run by none other than Damien Hirst.
—Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 22 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for primal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primal
Adjective
-
The fact that every single main cast member is on the ballot suggests that HBO made sure all main cast members were submitted and then allowed recurring performers to submit themselves.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
20 June 2026
-
However, that change requires the Green Mountain Care Board, the state's main healthcare regulator, to go through a rulemaking process, which would not be finalized by the start of the coming hospital fiscal year in October, delaying the pricing reform implementation.—
OLIVIA GIEGER VTDigger,
Arkansas Online,
20 June 2026
Adjective
-
The neighborhood/area The Icelandic Highlands are an incredibly special part of the country—uninhabited and covered with sprawling mountains and ancient volcanoes.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 June 2026
-
The air carries the scent of earth after rain — damp ancient stone, cellar walls, perhaps a trace of smoke.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 June 2026
Adjective
-
National Institutes of Health announced that the agency, along with researchers from the University of Florida, would begin clinical trials on mitragynine, the primary psychoactive compound in kratom, to evaluate its potential as a treatment for opioid use disorder.—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
19 June 2026
-
Furthermore, buildings must now identify backup service providers to ensure repairs can be made even if primary companies are unavailable or out of business.—
Joan Murray,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
But the primitive areas of our brains still have connections from when our ancestors relied on smell to survive.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Charlotte Observer,
16 June 2026
-
In another story, set in the far future, a scientist who had disappeared decades earlier reappears in an emergency shuttle, claiming to have been saved by a technologically primitive alien race.—
Alexandra Oliva,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
American resumes flights American Airlines, the predominant carrier at Miami International Airport, resumed its service to Venezuela between Miami and Caracas in late April after a multi-year hiatus.—
David Lyons,
Sun Sentinel,
28 May 2026
-
During the Indianapolis 500 Sunday, Busch was honored on the 18th lap of the race, 18 being the predominant number on his stock car.—
Jim Clash,
Forbes.com,
25 May 2026
Adjective
-
This 50-square-mile crescent in the Pacific has the southernmost coral reef in the world and a wealth of wilderness walks that include everything from primeval banyan forests to endangered ground-dwelling birds.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Dec. 2025
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Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California Time slows to a primeval pace in the sequoia groves that make up Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, where arboreal giants have watched the seasons come and go for more than 2,000 years.—
Sarah L. Stewart,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Clark was at the center of Indiana’s dominant outing, as the two-time All-Star delivered a variety of highlight-reel passes to lead the Fever to their fourth straight win and first victory over the Tempo, who are in their inaugural season.—
James Boyd,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
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The lofty valuation for the company that has become dominant in satellites through its Starlink service and reusable rockets has raised questions about its ambitious growth plans.—
Kai Nicol-Schwarz,
CNBC,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Earth-impacting shrapnel from those primordial upheavals may have helped seed our planet with the precursors for life, delivering water and organic compounds from the dark, icy depths of the outer solar system.—
Lee Billings,
Scientific American,
18 June 2026
-
At a time when the Earth was bare, when there were no vertebrates, no trees, no leaves, no flowering plants, and no plants with seeds, millipedes were feeding on decaying mosses, decomposed slime, and primordial gunk.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
13 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Primal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primal. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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