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
  • India’s new corporate vanguard Increasingly, many of these centers are leading efforts on product engineering, AI model development, and automation strategy — co-owning innovation and intellectual property in the process.
    Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 6 Nov. 2025
  • 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
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
  • There was a kind of anti-Franco underground in Barcelona.
    John Hopewell, Variety, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Phoenix has also stored water underground for use in times of emergencies.
    Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Family and love of God, integrity, grit, pioneer grit.
    Justin Ravitz, USA Today, 11 Nov. 2025
  • The resale pioneer’s third-quarter revenues increased 17 percent to $174 million, producing a gross merchandise volume of $520 million.
    Evan Clark, Footwear News, 10 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Van.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/van. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on van

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!