1
as in vanguard
the innovators of new concepts, styles, and techniques especially in the arts
an artist who was in the van of abstract expressionism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in forefront
the leading or most important part of a movement
a company that is considered by some to be in the van of the latest technology for renewable energy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of van
The Reach vans are Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible and have two wheelchair slots.
—
Sara Gregory, AJC.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Sunny Nights stars D'Arcy Carden and Will Forte as a pair of siblings trying to launch a spray tan company out of the back of their van, only for things to go from bad to worse when they're blackmailed, indebted to a criminal syndicate, and running for their lives.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 6 Mar. 2026
This particular take on the cargo van is longer, wider and emptier than any Sprinter that Mercedes builds at its factories while weighing hundreds of pounds less thanks to a svelte carbon fiber shell.
—C.c. Weiss
march 05, New Atlas, 5 Mar. 2026
Shadow was one of eight dogs stolen on Tuesday after someone took a sprinter van carrying the pets as the vehicle sat parked outside of a Lincoln Park pet salon.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for van
Sara Gregory, AJC.com, 6 Mar. 2026
Sunny Nights stars D'Arcy Carden and Will Forte as a pair of siblings trying to launch a spray tan company out of the back of their van, only for things to go from bad to worse when they're blackmailed, indebted to a criminal syndicate, and running for their lives.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 6 Mar. 2026
This particular take on the cargo van is longer, wider and emptier than any Sprinter that Mercedes builds at its factories while weighing hundreds of pounds less thanks to a svelte carbon fiber shell.
—C.c. Weiss
march 05, New Atlas, 5 Mar. 2026
Shadow was one of eight dogs stolen on Tuesday after someone took a sprinter van carrying the pets as the vehicle sat parked outside of a Lincoln Park pet salon.
—Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for van
Recent Examples of Synonyms for van
Noun
-
The once-insurgent vanguards who cast their first votes for Barack Obama have relinquished their cool factor to Gen Z, who will one day undergo the same process themselves as time continues its relentless march forward.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
-
Founded in 2010, Big Health, which makes cognitive behavioral therapy apps to treat anxiety and insomnia, was among the original vanguard of digital therapeutics companies.—
Mario Aguilar,
STAT,
12 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The show seems still very much in the forefront of the public eye?—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Mar. 2026
-
But the potentially season-defining stretch can’t be at the forefront of their minds now.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Bunn had previously used AI to search for new sources of oil underground, but pivoted to medical work after his wife had a series of miscarriages.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Engineers inject water to dissolve part of the salt, pump out the salty brine, and are left with an empty chamber underground.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Embrace the slightly dystopian vibe and buy a bag of pellets from one of the old-timey pioneer stores to hand-feed the furry descendants.—
Zoey Goto,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Mar. 2026
-
The 1986 season boasted rock ‘n’ roll pioneers Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis.—
George Varga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Van.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/van. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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