Synonyms of van

van

noun

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

• vanguard
• underground
• pioneer
• cutting edge
• avant-garde
• precursor
• forerunner
• trailblazer
• avant-gardist

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• establishment
• old guard

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

• forefront
• leading edge
• front line
• cutting edge
• vanguard
• spearhead

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of van

Denise Wunder, a retired sandwich shop manager, pulled up to the center in a van featuring a decorative license plate with an American eagle. — Marc Levy, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2026

Chris Pratt's journey to becoming one of Hollywood's go-to action stars started with him living in a van in Hawaii. — Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 2 Nov. 2026

The case against Morales shares similarities with the investigation into the fatal ICE shooting of Salgado Araujo in his van in July, Teare said. — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 2 Nov. 2026

My roles in Los Angeles County have varied from locking a ballot drop box at 8 pm on election night to being the second election worker in the van that takes the ballots from several vote centers to the ballot processing center. — Valerie Morishige, Daily News, 2 Nov. 2026