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
Evil Kirk is a frightening, primal menace, skulking around the corridors like a feral beast, chugging brandy and assaulting Yeoman Rand with no conscience.
—
Jeff Spry, Space.com, 22 Mar. 2026
Gaining rare access to vibrant young people brimming with energy and doubt, uncertain if tomorrow even exists, the filmmaker reveals how living fiercely in the moment becomes a primal defense.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 15 Mar. 2026
My desire to catch this fish felt primal, written in my genes.
—Kim Cross, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
Shakespeare’s fierce and primal tragedy follows the celebrated warrior who knows how to conquer enemies but not how to win hearts.
—Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for primal
Jeff Spry, Space.com, 22 Mar. 2026
Gaining rare access to vibrant young people brimming with energy and doubt, uncertain if tomorrow even exists, the filmmaker reveals how living fiercely in the moment becomes a primal defense.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 15 Mar. 2026
My desire to catch this fish felt primal, written in my genes.
—Kim Cross, Travel + Leisure, 10 Mar. 2026
Shakespeare’s fierce and primal tragedy follows the celebrated warrior who knows how to conquer enemies but not how to win hearts.
—Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for primal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primal
Adjective
-
Shuttle services have been arranged to transport journalists between the media center and a hotel in the city’s main shopping mall.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
-
But the leak appeared to get worse when the service module fired its main engine for the translunar injection burn on Day 2 of the flight, according to Amit Kshatriya, NASA’s associate administrator.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This ancient Chinese practice, now widely used throughout the world, involves insertion of very thin needles into specific points on the skin to treat disease and alleviate pain.—
Dr. Patricia Richard,
Hartford Courant,
14 Apr. 2026
-
Indeed, this phenomenon is used to great effect by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to see ancient and distant galaxies.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In 2018, Google employees staged a massive walkout to protest the company’s work on a primitive iteration of the project.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
15 Apr. 2026
-
The education center and two semi-primitive campgrounds feature vault toilets.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The Wolves expect to challenge for Porter County Conference and postseason titles, and Powell is prepared to be a primary contributor.—
Michael Osipoff,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Industry leaders said some migrant workers employed by the textile companies were struggling to secure liquified petroleum gas, the primary cooking fuel.—
Priyanka Salve,
CNBC,
9 Apr. 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
-
However, tantalizing signs of this primordial matter have recently been seen in these small collisions as well as in the collisions between lead nuclei.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
8 Apr. 2026
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The moon is much smaller than Earth, so its primordial heat should have leaked into space long ago.—
Robin George Andrews,
Scientific American,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Warm and slightly muggy conditions will be the predominant theme for the Pirates home opener game this evening.—
Trey Fulbright,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
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First, the predominant previous assessment of many pundits that Gulf states’ collective large investments in defense were prestige driven — as opposed to a necessity — has fallen flat on its face.—
Faisal J. Abbas,
semafor.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen made an early exit from the Stars' first-round playoff preview matchup against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.—
R.J. Coyle,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
In the early nineties, the British indie band Heavenly struck out in pursuit of the most infectious guitar-pop melody.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Primal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primal. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.
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