as in first
coming before all others in time or order
the earliest computers were massive machines that practically filled up a room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earliest
Adjective
-
Tim Curry of Rocky Horror Picture Show fame memorably gave the dancing clown its first breath in a 1990 miniseries co-written and directed by Tommy Lee Wallace.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 Oct. 2025 -
The Flames, meanwhile, are still searching for their first win at home after starting their season 1-6-0.—
Julian McKenzie,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
His initial coping mechanism was to throw his water bottle in frustration.—
Roshane Thomas,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The items collect dust, and the space is rarely revisited after the initial setup until the holidays come around.—
Lauren Bengtson,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
While the show has since been rebooted to include the original cast's spouses and children, Polizzi said a lot of people refuse to see her as anything other than an early 2000s-era party girl.—
Hadley Hitson,
Nashville Tennessean,
27 Oct. 2025
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The series sticks with the timeline of Muschietti's movies rather than King's book, meaning the original Losers Club encounter with It takes place in 1989 rather than 1958, and the final battle in 2016 rather than 1985.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
27 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Goodall was seen as the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees after spending decades studying them in the wild in Tanzania's Gombe Stream National Park.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
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The 2019 Nationals aren’t even the foremost road warriors of the last few years.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Earliest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earliest. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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