van

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

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 van So far, the system has powered a truck, van, car and bus — all equipped with special pickup coils. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025 His van was dumped in rural West Miami-Dade. Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2025 Bronco, Bronco Sport, the commercial vans — all healthy volume. Jamie L. Lareau, Freep.com, 3 Nov. 2025 McAtee remembers loading food into the back of customers’ vans and noticing pies made by competitors. Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for van
Recent Examples of Synonyms for van
Noun
  • The oysterman has been catapulted onto the national stage as part of a vanguard of progressive, young candidates who have gained widespread support by appealing to working class voters.
    Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 16 Oct. 2025
  • The San Francisco 49ers, vanguards of the outside zone run game, cannot run the ball.
    Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 15 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Mamdani’s victory places him at the forefront of a global cohort of diaspora leaders who have shattered political ceilings in recent years.
    Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 7 Nov. 2025
  • Bank of America’s virtual financial assistant, Erica, is at the forefront of the bank’s client-facing technology.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Considering that Albini helped build the sound of the alt-rock underground, shouldn’t those exact tools and test pressings be immortalized in a museum?
    Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Ascending from the horror underground, CBS daytime show The Talk covered theater-goers hurling at screenings.
    Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • By offering a solution to the throngs of independent resale stores that followed in the footsteps of buy-and-sell pioneers like Round Two, OS Group has been able to carve a lucrative niche in an otherwise crowded space.
    Riley Jones, Footwear News, 4 Nov. 2025
  • The first release is uniquely crafted by esteemed whiskey pioneer Chip Tate.
    Gege Reed, Louisville Courier Journal, 4 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Van.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/van. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.

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