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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 ancestor
For example, juniper berries and blueberries are both blue, but their ancestors may have developed that coloration separately.
—
Molly Herring, Quanta Magazine, 27 June 2025
On the Monday, June 23, episode of the long-running quiz game show, three contestants were given a clue and one of them, Emily Croke, answered correctly and became the champion — partially because the clue referred to an ancestor of hers.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 25 June 2025
Their analyses suggest the most recent common ancestor of living night lizards arose more than 92 million years ago, long before the Chicxulub asteroid crashed down.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025
There were two prevailing theories: the fossils were either survivors of the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event who made it to the Paleocene or the earliest ancestors of Eocene marsupial species that roamed Earth millions of years after the Paleocene.
—Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Molly Herring, Quanta Magazine, 27 June 2025
On the Monday, June 23, episode of the long-running quiz game show, three contestants were given a clue and one of them, Emily Croke, answered correctly and became the champion — partially because the clue referred to an ancestor of hers.
—Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 25 June 2025
Their analyses suggest the most recent common ancestor of living night lizards arose more than 92 million years ago, long before the Chicxulub asteroid crashed down.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 25 June 2025
There were two prevailing theories: the fossils were either survivors of the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction event who made it to the Paleocene or the earliest ancestors of Eocene marsupial species that roamed Earth millions of years after the Paleocene.
—Stephanie Edwards, Discover Magazine, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor
Noun
-
Visiting a seafood market is an essential part of any trip to Japan, and Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market is the grandfather of them all.—
Jessica Kozuka,
Travel + Leisure,
12 July 2025
-
But off to the side, Ricardo Mojica, a tall, silver-haired grandfather, quietly tried to talk to agents to find out what was happening with his son, who worked inside.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
The killer is a man who, for all his delusions, pokes at the other men’s complacency and domesticity — making this thriller a forerunner of everything from Easy Rider to The Hitcher to Collateral. 20.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
-
Here is a look at some of the most likely forerunners to serve as the 267th pope, according to public reporting.—
Caitlin McFall,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
His father, Scotty Robinson, also had a career in country music for a while, so clearly the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.—
Sid Evans,
Southern Living,
8 July 2025
-
Turns out, Yun had fallen in love with Marcello’s father Alfredo (Luca Zingaretti) — a relationship that doesn’t seem to scandalize anyone, not even Marcello’s mom Lorella (Sabrina Ferilli).—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
8 July 2025
Noun
-
Chinese authorities have since controlled a number of these precursor chemicals.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
12 July 2025
-
As a precursor of sorts for CBS stalwart Survivor (which returns for its 49th edition on September 24), Big Brother is the perfect reality appetizer before the ultimate main course.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Both of Trump’s two-term predecessors, Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, visited Britain multiple times, though both were issued just one state visit.—
Caitlin McFall,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
-
Several of Trump’s predecessors have also gone on state visits to the U.K.—
Brendan Rascius
July 14,
Miami Herald,
14 July 2025
Noun
-
To do so, Nemo audaciously steals a prototype submarine from the penal colony in which he is imprisoned, escaping into the ocean with a motley crew of fellow prisoners.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
8 July 2025
-
Try generating your own wireframe or high-fidelity prototype.—
Shyam Ravindranathan,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share