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
Love—an abstraction, note, nonexistent outside specific relation—is a powerful surge of primal energy, of consciousness.
—
Christian Wiman, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
That horror lays bare society’s most primal fears is not a hot take, yet the way Lisowski approaches films like Pet Sematary, Scream, and Antichrist feels fresh and alive.
—Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025
Their endless appeal lies in something that's both primal and refined, with big cuts of protein, refined and cooked just so, but appealing to the comfort of an abundant table.
—Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Dec. 2025
Playing with a pooch can help our brains concentrate and relax, a family dog can help prevent food allergies in children, and even fulfill our primal need to nurture.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primal
Christian Wiman, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
That horror lays bare society’s most primal fears is not a hot take, yet the way Lisowski approaches films like Pet Sematary, Scream, and Antichrist feels fresh and alive.
—Diana Arterian, Literary Hub, 11 Dec. 2025
Their endless appeal lies in something that's both primal and refined, with big cuts of protein, refined and cooked just so, but appealing to the comfort of an abundant table.
—Laura L. Davis, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Dec. 2025
Playing with a pooch can help our brains concentrate and relax, a family dog can help prevent food allergies in children, and even fulfill our primal need to nurture.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primal
Adjective
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And one of its main ingredients was a hair product – Afro Sheen.—
Sonari Glinton,
NPR,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Then the Orion capsule will fire up its main thruster and shoot off towards the Moon on its 240,000-mile, four-day journey.—
The Week,
TheWeek,
7 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Colors take center stage, embedding references to the paintings and glasswork in European churches, the hues of the natural landscape in China’s Dunhuang county, as well as to the iconography and embroideries from the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern dynasties in ancient China.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
13 Jan. 2026
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The documentary follows the chief through the months leading up to his inauguration, an event that draws more than 300 people from around the world representing Scotland’s ancient clans.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Buffington had been working as an after-school instructor for classes in woodworking, primitive skills and kite-making through the Princeton Recreation Department.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
9 Jan. 2026
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These regular observations will gradually take in data and aim to provide pivotal information about the strengths, compositions, and histories of these primitive cosmic bodies.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
8 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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If the recovering addicts’ primary task was to filter out women who wouldn’t qualify to sue—namely, those who didn’t have pelvic mesh or who did but weren’t in pain—Blake’s was to amp up the value of their lawsuits (and attorneys’ fees) by convincing them to have their mesh surgically removed.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
12 Jan. 2026
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The other available Heat players who were out of the primary rotation Saturday were Keshad Johnson, Simone Fontecchio, Kasparas Jakucionis and Myron Gardner.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
11 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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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
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Testing an idea older than the discovery itself To explore this mystery, the researchers turned to an idea proposed decades ago but never confirmed—primordial black holes.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Jan. 2026
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Another study, published in March, found that microlightning in primordial mist may have sparked the chemical formation of the building blocks of life more than 3 billion years ago.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
29 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Still, the predominant image of Levi Strauss heir Lurie is that of an earnest problem solver blending private sector agility with an ability to experiment with public policy.—
Thomas D. Elias,
Oc Register,
8 Jan. 2026
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The predominant symptoms experienced by the ill passengers and crew members were vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps.—
Marina Watts,
PEOPLE,
31 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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It’ll be deployed to Google DeepMind and Hyundai’s Robotics Metaplant Applications center in the coming months, and additional customers will adopt it in early 2027.—
Lisa Eadicicco,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
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Opening arguments in a Stanford felony vandalism case began Friday amid sharp disputes over whether political views tied to Israel’s war in Gaza should factor into the trial — an issue that has shaped the case from its earliest stages.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
10 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Primal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primal. Accessed 15 Jan. 2026.
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