as in ancient
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period
primeval forests slowly disappearing as the climate changed
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Recent Examples of primeval
There was another side to connect with, a rough, primeval, earthly energy.
—
Literary Hub, 3 Dec. 2025
The primeval lizards also harbor over 50 strains of bacteria in their mouths and their venomous saliva contains an anticoagulant and toxins that induce blood loss, shock, and paralysis in its victim.
—Norma Meyer, Oc Register, 12 Nov. 2025
Sez Me … Since the first football player — all hairy and slumped over and naked — climbed out of the primeval swamp and tried to block an animal that hasn’t been seen since that giant asteroid smashed into Earth, it‘s been obvious.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Nov. 2025
Filled with unearthly landscapes, primeval forests, and twilight beaches, Anemone’s ornate visual design seems to underscore its characters’ emotional suffocation.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primeval
Literary Hub, 3 Dec. 2025
The primeval lizards also harbor over 50 strains of bacteria in their mouths and their venomous saliva contains an anticoagulant and toxins that induce blood loss, shock, and paralysis in its victim.
—Norma Meyer, Oc Register, 12 Nov. 2025
Sez Me … Since the first football player — all hairy and slumped over and naked — climbed out of the primeval swamp and tried to block an animal that hasn’t been seen since that giant asteroid smashed into Earth, it‘s been obvious.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Nov. 2025
Filled with unearthly landscapes, primeval forests, and twilight beaches, Anemone’s ornate visual design seems to underscore its characters’ emotional suffocation.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 28 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primeval
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primeval
Adjective
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The resort is built on the site of an ancient Hawaiian fishing village and during development, an historic Hawaiian trail and several anchialine pools were found.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
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Scientists think dogs descended from an ancient population of gray wolves somewhere in Europe or Asia.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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There are also several primitive campgrounds spaced out around the park.—
Carrie Honaker,
Travel + Leisure,
3 Apr. 2026
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Seidle sketches out miniature worlds on his Casio with the oblong abstractions of a kindergartener doodling on a piece of paper, his primitive songs existing in a kind of nascent pre-genre state.—
Sam Goldner,
Pitchfork,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The theology in such conflicts usually masks more primal power struggles and still tends to make the wars and warriors more fanatical and bloodthirsty.—
Andreas Kluth,
Twin Cities,
3 Apr. 2026
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But the primal thrill of watching Rooney take games by the scruff of the neck at will never fade.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Her burial site wasn’t far from where other prehistoric remains have been discovered over the years, on what was once a bluff overlooking the river.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 Mar. 2026
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Casa Grande's Great House Casa Grande, or the Great House, is one of the largest prehistoric structures built in North America.—
Paige Moore,
AZCentral.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This is the faint thermal afterglow from some 380,000 years after the big bang that was unleashed when the hot, foglike plasma that filled the early universe cooled and cleared as primordial atomic nuclei bonded with free electrons.—
Paul M. Sutter,
Scientific American,
27 Mar. 2026
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In retrospect, taken collectively, much of McCarthy’s work as an actor, filmmaker and journalist hinges on the friendship motif — that primordial ache to belong, that yearning to be seen.—
Malina Saval,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Created by Nikki Igol and Steven Chaiken, who worked together at the fashion magazine V in the early two-thousands, the place is stocked with vintage issues of Paper, Vogue, and more.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD) released its latest forecast for the mosquito season, predicting a slow start before a spike in early July.—
Ashley Grams,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Primeval.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primeval. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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