as in dad
an older man who acts in a paternal role to younger people
The coach was a stern, wise father figure to his players.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of father figure
With a reputation as a father figure, the Italian excels at player management and enjoys good relations with Vinicius Junior and other Brazilian players.
—
Samindra Kunti, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Those children came to see him as a father figure, a rugged protector with inviting hazel eyes.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 12 May 2025
At one point in the play, Treat kidnaps Harold, the role Baldwin took on, and finds that the rich businessman makes for an unexpected father figure.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2025
The actor infuses this unusual father figure with an overprotective streak and a sense of melancholy to match a patchwork body born from parental abuse.
5.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for father figure
Samindra Kunti, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025
Those children came to see him as a father figure, a rugged protector with inviting hazel eyes.
—Mike Hixenbaugh, NBC news, 12 May 2025
At one point in the play, Treat kidnaps Harold, the role Baldwin took on, and finds that the rich businessman makes for an unexpected father figure.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2025
The actor infuses this unusual father figure with an overprotective streak and a sense of melancholy to match a patchwork body born from parental abuse.
5.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for father figure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for father figure
Noun
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The two are joined by Bella's dad, Home Secretary Suri Sharma, and an apparent Syrian arms dealer.—
Matt Cabral,
EW.com,
26 May 2025
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Copeland's dad, Micky, had been killed in a car wreck that March, just as the world shut down because of the covid pandemic.—
Sheila Yount,
Arkansas Online,
25 May 2025
Noun
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Killmonger’s deeper motivation is sadder and less grandiose: His father, the brother of the late king, was murdered by Wakandan agents, forcing Killmonger to grow up alone and exiled from his ancestral homeland.—
Zak Cheney-Rice,
Vulture,
2 June 2025
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In the show, Youssef also voices the young Rumi Hussein, and his father Hussein — a deliriously entertaining track that Brady pushed for.—
Proma Khosla,
IndieWire,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Father figure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/father%20figure. Accessed 6 Jun. 2025.
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