1
as in grandfather
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent
Bridie's Irish ancestors immigrated to the United States in the 19th century during the Great Potato Famine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in forerunner
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
pinball machines—the ancestors of today's video games—go back to the 19th century
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ancestor
What if, centuries ago, one of your ancestors chose not to immigrate to a new country?
—
Nuno Fernandes, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Eligibility has now been narrowed to those with Italian parents or grandparents, as opposed to any Italian ancestor who was alive after the country was formed in 1861.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2025
The state House gave preliminary approval to creating a statewide reparations commission to study benefits for the Marylanders whose ancestors were enslaved.
—Natalie Jones, Baltimore Sun, 2 Apr. 2025
The ancestors of tens of millions of Americans left miserable lives in Ireland for initially difficult ones here.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Nuno Fernandes, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Eligibility has now been narrowed to those with Italian parents or grandparents, as opposed to any Italian ancestor who was alive after the country was formed in 1861.
—Natasha Frost, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2025
The state House gave preliminary approval to creating a statewide reparations commission to study benefits for the Marylanders whose ancestors were enslaved.
—Natalie Jones, Baltimore Sun, 2 Apr. 2025
The ancestors of tens of millions of Americans left miserable lives in Ireland for initially difficult ones here.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 29 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor
Noun
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Founded by her grandfather 75 years ago, Klem's sells a wide range of products including hardware, pet food and clothes.—
Alina Selyukh,
NPR,
7 Apr. 2025
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The emotions were unavoidable on Saturday for Ian Happ, who got a standing ovation for his 1,000th game as a Cub, as well as Matthew Boyd, who got choked up after winning his first start at Wrigley Field in a Cubs uniform, thinking of his late grandfather, a Cubs fan who grew up in Chicago.—
Patrick Mooney,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Yet this brand of Christian Zionism is clearly the forerunner to today’s – and holds sway in Washington.—
Shalom Goldman,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2025
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The title is an apt, if sort of obvious, introduction to Turner, who has been hailed as the forerunner to modern art.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The boy drowned and his father died trying to save him, the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office said in an April 2 news release.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2025
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The bride's father also set the standard in his first wedding speech by playing a PowerPoint with more than 200 photos of Chernoff and Werner over the years.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
People.com,
3 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In addition, neighborhoods would no longer be required — as a precursor to meters — to test out two-hour and three-hour parking zones enforced by chalking tires instead of meters.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Apr. 2025
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Directed by Arthur Penn, who brought a bold visual style, frank sexuality and graphic, balletic violence to a Hollywood dominated by optimistic pictures, this countercultural romance served as a precursor to the generational tension and mistrust in authority that was quietly pervading the country.—
Travis Bean,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Whereas Main Street’s predecessor as recently as October of 2024 had planned to void all of its legacy MLB deals but for one, the company entered the new season with nine clubs under contract.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Larry, who died in January, was a 31-year veteran of the New York office of FTA and its predecessor, the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA), who began as a political appointee in 1981 under the Reagan administration and stayed, switching over to being in the career civil service.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Mar. 2025
Noun
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As improbable as that sounds for an upright, short-wheelbase 4×4, the EV Bronco prototype is about much more than just straight-line speed and all-electric range.—
Michael Van Runkle,
Robb Report,
2 Apr. 2025
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His most egregious act may have been sharing a video that purported to show a fully functional prototype, whereas the truck actually was rolling down a small hill.—
Dan Primack,
Axios,
31 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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