as in excellent
of the very best kind
a first-string rendition of the musical piece
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Recent Examples of first-string
Hudson has been practicing as the first-string left tackle all spring in Thomas’ absence.
—
Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 17 June 2025
With the second-string defense facing the first-string offense, QB Bryce Young tried to fit a laser pass through the middle of traffic, and Rozeboom — who spent the past four years with the Los Angeles Rams — batted the ball in the air.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 13 June 2025
Newcomers Jason Pinnock and Richie Grant served as the first-string safeties.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 30 May 2025
All five first-string Pacers (Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner) complement one another.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 19 May 2025
After one year as a reserve, he was elevated to Vince Lombardi's first-string defense the following season.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
The rest of the first-string offensive line included Julian Armella at right guard, Sam Yoon at center and Courtland Ford at left tackle.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
The Packers did not play their first-string offense.
—Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 18 Aug. 2024
As first-string quarterback Claire Heisinger watched on crutches from the sideline, Addison Kloch, who is an elite golfer, filled in admirably for the Chargers.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2024
Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 17 June 2025
With the second-string defense facing the first-string offense, QB Bryce Young tried to fit a laser pass through the middle of traffic, and Rozeboom — who spent the past four years with the Los Angeles Rams — batted the ball in the air.
—Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 13 June 2025
Newcomers Jason Pinnock and Richie Grant served as the first-string safeties.
—Matt Barrows, New York Times, 30 May 2025
All five first-string Pacers (Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Aaron Nesmith, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner) complement one another.
—James L. Edwards Iii, New York Times, 19 May 2025
After one year as a reserve, he was elevated to Vince Lombardi's first-string defense the following season.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
The rest of the first-string offensive line included Julian Armella at right guard, Sam Yoon at center and Courtland Ford at left tackle.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2025
The Packers did not play their first-string offense.
—Nick Kosmider, The Athletic, 18 Aug. 2024
As first-string quarterback Claire Heisinger watched on crutches from the sideline, Addison Kloch, who is an elite golfer, filled in admirably for the Chargers.
—Steve Galluzzo, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for first-string
Adjective
-
This Dyson model is lightweight and has powerful suction and motorized tools that are excellent for getting hair out of carpets and upholstery.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
11 July 2025
-
There is not a lot of room, but the midfielder is excellent at operating in tight spaces.—
Jay Harris,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
The Packers failed to build on their terrific finish to the 2023 campaign, settled for the No. 7 seed in the NFC playoffs, and lost a Wild Card game to eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
12 July 2025
-
Smartphone Deals An ultra-bright screen, terrific build quality, and powerful AI tools made the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL a winner in our book, and our expert gave it an excellent rating in our review.—
Jade Chung-Lee,
PC Magazine,
12 July 2025
Adjective
-
General Manager Jeff Smith and marketing guru Gus Tejeda proved to be amiable and welcoming hosts on what must have been cause for a huge sigh of relief after so much advance planning – but the evening went down without a hitch and the food and drinks were simply stellar.—
David Weiss,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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More Alika Jenner/Getty Images How to Watch Storm vs Sun Date: Wednesday, July 9, 2025 Time: 11:00 AM ET Channel: NBC Sports Boston Stream: Fubo (TRY FOR FREE) Skylar Diggins was selected to her first All-Star team since 2022, marking her seventh appearance during her stellar WNBA career.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
Signed last summer from AC Monza for a fee of €18 million ($19.49 million), Di Gregorio looks like a superb signing already worth far more than that initial transfer fee.—
Adam Digby,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
-
The tool did a superb job of cutting the plastic electrical conduit.—
Tim Carter,
Hartford Courant,
5 July 2025
Adjective
-
This is a great NBA Summer League matchup; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
-
This is a great day to schmooze with friends and members of groups and organizations.—
Georgia Nicols,
Denver Post,
7 July 2025
Adjective
-
This no-churn ice cream recipe extracts all the wonderful flavor from the corn by simmering both the kernels and cobs in whipping cream and sweetened condensed milk to make sure every bite is filled with corn flavor.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
14 July 2025
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So many wonderful age gap and power dynamics going on in this novel that really set the tone for a whole generation of writers to come.—
Hattie Williams
July 14,
Literary Hub,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
This wide, unruffled stretch of water framed by wooded bluffs is prime bald eagle territory.—
Giovanna Dell'orto,
Twin Cities,
13 July 2025
-
But that’s not a sure thing because one of the three teams ahead of the Rockies — Nationals, Angels and Mariners — could pass on a prime pitcher and scoop up Holliday.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
13 July 2025
Adjective
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This jar candle has a lovely fragrance reminiscent of a tropical island, featuring citrus, florals and vanilla elements.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
10 July 2025
-
Cue people lining up to declare what a lovely touch this was, the problem being that the reports turned out not to be true and were based on a misinterpretation of something the Fiorentina president said.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“First-string.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/first-string. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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