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
So what’s unleashed is just this primal anger and frustration.
—
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 May 2025
The film celebrates artists who challenge the status quo and give voice to those on the fringes of society, all accompanied by a soundtrack that mixes traditional Japanese music with the thudding drums, wailing guitar, and primal screams of modern rock.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 7 May 2025
In this whole revelation that’s happened to him, some unexpected, primal thing is released.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 7 May 2025
Survival: Headline When a playoff series reaches Game 6, the matchup becomes primal.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for primal
Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 9 May 2025
The film celebrates artists who challenge the status quo and give voice to those on the fringes of society, all accompanied by a soundtrack that mixes traditional Japanese music with the thudding drums, wailing guitar, and primal screams of modern rock.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 7 May 2025
In this whole revelation that’s happened to him, some unexpected, primal thing is released.
—Jordan Moreau, Variety, 7 May 2025
Survival: Headline When a playoff series reaches Game 6, the matchup becomes primal.
—Chris Branch, New York Times, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for primal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primal
Adjective
-
Its main funders are the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW – and returning main partner ZDF Studios.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
19 May 2025
-
Two main issues are conveyed: No credible debt management approach exists.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
The photo highlights the relative youth of human civilization by showing a 2,500-year-old temple that is ancient by the yardstick of human lives, alongside the 4.5 billion-year-old disk of Earth's moon, which has watched over humanity since our ancestors emerged from the oceans.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
13 May 2025
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Drive around the island and catch glimpses of past civilizations: ancient fig trees propped up by wooden crutches; centuries-old windmills that look like giant antique flyswatters; stone walls built by the Moors during the Middle Ages that somehow still look new.—
Julia Chaplin,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2025
Adjective
-
Houde said these mammoth animals are a primitive group of proboscideans ('elephantoids') from which modern elephants evolved.—
Joseph J. Kolb,
Fox News,
18 July 2017
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Many are primitive and remote, and don’t have restrooms or water.—
OregonLive.com,
OregonLive.com,
12 July 2017
Adjective
-
David Hogg, a Democratic National Committee vice chairman, has elevated his national profile but risked his standing in the DNC for promising to primary older incumbents in Congress.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
24 May 2025
-
There are two primary types of retail pharmacies: chain pharmacies, which are operated by larger companies, and independent pharmacies, which are often locally owned.—
Lucas Dufalla,
Arkansas Online,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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But in this primeval stage, nearly all of the potential Democratic candidates are discussing problems that have bedeviled their party for years: how to win back working-class voters, how aggressively to oppose President Trump and how to reach voters beyond the traditional news media.—
Lisa Lerer,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
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Our own moon shows evidence of primeval tidal heating, too.—
Robin George Andrews,
Quanta Magazine,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
So the cosmic dark ages aren’t entirely dark; those clouds of primordial neutral hydrogen are emitting tremendous amounts of 21-cm radiation.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
16 Apr. 2025
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George Harrison may be thought of as a holy man, but the primordial ooze his career emerges from is made of cars.—
Kaleb Horton,
Rolling Stone,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The soda business grew in popularity in a predominant Mormon area, according to the New York Times, as the church prohibits drinks that are hot caffeinated like tea and coffee.—
Gabe Hauari,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
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While Putin’s predominant image in the outside world is that of a ruthless strongman, for domestic audiences the Kremlin has tried to soften this image.—
Peter Rutland,
The Conversation,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
The existence of any prehistoric apex predators in the islands of the Caribbean used to be doubted.—
Ashley Belanger – May 16,
ArsTechnica,
16 May 2025
-
The original show gave the prehistoric reptiles the nature documentary treatment, offering glimpses of a world that was ruled by dinosaurs millions of years ago through the magic of CGI and animatronics.—
Maira Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Primal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primal. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
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