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
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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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ancestor
These early dinosaurs were also initially vastly outnumbered by their reptile cousins–a group of enormous crocodile ancestors called the pseudosuchians and pterosaurs who grew to the size of fighter jets.
—
Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Jan. 2025
Dinosaurs and pterosaurs shared a common ancestor in the Triassic, an animal that likely was small, was covered in fur and fed on insects to fuel a warm, constant body temperature.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025
In 1948, her parents were displaced from the land near Nazareth, in what is now northern Israel, which their ancestors had farmed for centuries.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 18 Jan. 2025
Franklin’s immediate ancestors grew up in a world where the fear of witchcraft led to tragic consequences.
—Michael Sheldrick, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ancestor 
Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 23 Jan. 2025
Dinosaurs and pterosaurs shared a common ancestor in the Triassic, an animal that likely was small, was covered in fur and fed on insects to fuel a warm, constant body temperature.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Jan. 2025
In 1948, her parents were displaced from the land near Nazareth, in what is now northern Israel, which their ancestors had farmed for centuries.
—Lauren Frayer, NPR, 18 Jan. 2025
Franklin’s immediate ancestors grew up in a world where the fear of witchcraft led to tragic consequences.
—Michael Sheldrick, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ancestor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor
Noun
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Kai Trump's social media is skyrocketing after her grandfather's reelection.—
Gordon G. Chang,
Newsweek,
24 Jan. 2025
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Jack Schlossberg, the only grandson of John F. Kennedy, is speaking out about his grandfather's assassination as the government prepares to release the last remaining documents related to the former president's murder investigation.—
Rachel Raposas,
People.com,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Punk and Emo, the forerunners of today’s worm-mollusks, lived on the dark seafloor amid gardens of sponges, nearly 200 million years before the first dinosaurs emerged on land.—
Kate Golembiewski,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2025
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The company's North American forerunner, Chrysler, has been left for dead repeatedly over the decades, only to emerge with hit products like minivans in the 1980s and the Dodge Ram pickup in the 1990s.—
Joel Mathis,
theweek,
17 Dec. 2024
Noun
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The trouble began when the OP reserved a shaded table for her elderly father, who had recently undergone surgery.—
Kristen Waggoner,
Newsweek,
22 Jan. 2025
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His father was found not guilty of malice murder but guilty on the other eight counts.—
Dakin Andone,
CNN,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Starring Andre Braugher, Yaphet Kotto and Melissa Leo, Homicide ran for more than 100 episodes and seven seasons in the 1990s and is considered by many to be a precursor to Simon’s The Wire.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2025
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This track is a precursor to a series of new releases planned for early 2025, signaling a year of growth and exploration for Sanders.—
Ethan Stone,
USA TODAY,
28 Jan. 2025
Noun
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And ‘dust on boots’ fails even to distinguish this nominee from multiple predecessors of the last decade.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
26 Jan. 2025
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Scholz’s predecessor, Angela Merkel, often went head-to-head with Trump and reportedly believed that the U.S. president specifically had it out for Germany during his first term.—
Caitlin McFall,
Fox News,
26 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Darryn Peterson: Modern guard prototype The standout player from Prolific Prep is the 6-foot-5 combo guard who ran the show for the most complete team this weekend.—
Jared Weiss,
The Athletic,
21 Jan. 2025
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In April 2023, one of SpaceX’s prototype Starship rockets exploded over the Gulf of Mexico shortly after liftoff.—
Robert A. Kopack,
The Conversation,
17 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near ancestor
Cite this Entry
“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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