prototypes

plural of prototype
1
as in examples
one of a group or collection that shows what the whole is like a literary character who is regarded as the prototype of the fanatical and intolerant pursuer of justice

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2
as in forerunners
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed the Greek epic that is the prototype of the hero myth

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in originals
something from which copies are made the manufacturer exhaustively tested the prototype of the vehicle before approving production

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prototypes Inside, archival photographs, sketches, prototypes, and text tell the story of Neapolitan cobbler Salvatore Ferragamo’s rise to fame and fortune. Laura Itzkowitz, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026 The others, with visible sensors and cameras hanging off every corner of the vehicles, look like prototypes. Michael Khouw, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026 The prototypes were successfully filled, sealed, and tested without leaks. Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026 But the public first got a look at the Cybercab at a glitzy Hollywood event two years ago, and prototypes have been seen in cities across America since then. Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026 Professional racers on prototypes (and now production models) of the 805 RX are proving the bike’s ability to withstand competitive pressure. New Atlas, 2 Sep. 2026 Over time, this group of 60 Starlink prototypes suffered a failure rate of about 13 percent, according to McDowell. Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 2 Sep. 2026 Summary Climate entrepreneurs urgently need capital to scale projects beyond initial prototypes, with a survey showing 70% require equity but face significant financing hurdles. Rob Day, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2026 More than 100,000 Flock cameras have been installed around the country since 2017, when the company first started rolling out prototypes. Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prototypes
Noun
  • Freedom, the Second Amendment, the greatest military in the history of the world, gorgeous nature from coast to coast, cheap domestic light beer and other examples that would take me a month to list.
    David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2026
  • But these examples demonstrate what’s both possible and necessary in higher education.
    Sian Leah Beilock, The Atlantic, 5 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Margaret and Alice are the forerunners of Lucy and Ethel, and Shakespeare’s comedy, written expressly to entertain, gives us a sense of what an Elizabethan-era situation comedy might look like.
    Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026
  • One of the forerunners today in Madeira and the Azores is António Maçanita from Azores Wine Company.
    Forbes.com, Forbes.com, 20 July 2026
Noun
  • The brand added that each miniature style is cut from the same silk and finished with prints, piping and proportions that follow the originals as closely as possible.
    Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • David Attenborough’s nature specials sit alongside Emmy-winning originals like Stephen Hawking’s Favorite Places, so there’s plenty here beyond typical streaming filler.
    StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 6 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Identical radiation, different damage Researchers from the University of Science and Technology Beijing and Hokkaido University tested thin samples taken from superconducting wires.
    Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The poll’s crosstab included much smaller sub-samples of voters, broken down by age, gender and location, and the statewide sample was just 250 Democrats.
    Steve Bousquet, Sun Sentinel, 5 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • The ideology of Third Worldism and the New Agey, anything-goes-style progressivism of the West Coast that Naipaul so keenly lacerates were necessary precursors to the mass death in Guyana.
    James Kirchick, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Jack Kilby, the inventor of the integrated circuit, or microchip, and the handheld calculator—early precursors of AI.
    Jordan Blum, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Club sources, speaking anonymously to protect relationships, say his influence has grown in the aftermath of those departures.
    Paul Taylor, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Production outside the Middle East ramped up Another significant adjustment during the Iran war was the ramp-up in oil production from unexpected sources.
    David Goldman, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Her mentor and co-author Christiane Weirauch and other scientists had collected 593 specimens during expeditions to Australia more than 20 years ago, which had subsequently sat on a shelf waiting to be examined.
    Brad Balukjian, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The pair examined 593 specimens collected throughout Australia between 1995 and 2004 and described 12 new species across five new genera.
    Bryan West, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • My distant ancestors may have stood on a hill looking across a half-frozen landscape.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Patrick Scribner has only limited memories of what, for generations, was home to his ancestors.
    Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 6 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Prototypes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prototypes. Accessed 11 Sep. 2026.

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