father 1 of 2

Definition of fathernext
1
as in dad
a male human parent the special relationship that exists between fathers and sons

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as in Lord
capitalized the being worshipped as the creator and ruler of the universe let us ask humbly for the blessings of our Father in heaven

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father

2 of 2

verb

as in to sire
to become the father of Paul Revere somehow found room in his small house for the large family he had fathered

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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 father
Noun
At the Rancho Bernardo Library concert Albrent will be playing the violin her father made for her. Elizabeth Marie Himchak, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026 These transitions have wrought a new relationship to impermanence, and to the meaning of both family and home, installing grief as a permanent fixture in my life and making even my parents’ home feel slightly foreign now that my father no longer lives there. Naomi Jackson, Curbed, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
Clapton fathered his first child, Ruth, with Yvonne Kelly in 1985. Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 9 Jan. 2026 Her first appearance on the Norman Lear classic was as Marilyn Sanders, a woman who shows up, young child in tow, on the Bunker family’s doorstop claiming that the little boy was fathered by Gloria’s husband Mike Stivic (Rob Reiner). Greg Evans, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for father
Recent Examples of Synonyms for father
Noun
  • Buck had to hear about his dad's exploits—his legend—from others, but a hint was as basic as his name.
    CBS News, CBS News, 8 Feb. 2026
  • Nasir Khan, a scrawny Pakistani American college student living with his parents in Queens, sneaks out and drives his dad’s taxi to a party in Manhattan.
    Stephanie Bai, The Atlantic, 8 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The airspace closure is expected to be extremely disruptive for El Paso, a major industrial hub, Robert Moore, the founder and CEO of news site El Paso Matters, told CNN.
    Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
  • Star Parker is founder of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The company, Christian Brothers Hockey Sticks, was founded by his grandfather and great-uncle, 1960 Olympic hockey stars Bill and Roger Christian.
    Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 5 Feb. 2026
  • Kocher was a grandfather and a sucker for extra hours on the bike trails, Beckley said.
    Lillie Davidson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Spike had sired three elephant calves at other zoos, but none survived.
    Jasmine Baehr, FOXNews.com, 4 Feb. 2026
  • Conspiracists have long speculated about if and how Hitler might live on: using a pseudonym in Argentina, huddling in a bunker under the Antarctic ice, or secretly siring offspring.
    Rosemary Counter, Vanity Fair, 19 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Harper and Yasmin have said goodbye to their spectacularly misspent youths, but their daddy issues—another of the show’s pet themes—are decidedly unresolved.
    Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Never mind the millions of kids being raised by single parents, grandparents (looking at you, JD Vance) or other guardians who aren’t the biological John-and-Jane mommy and daddy of conservative lore.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The fallout from the files has consumed much of the news media in recent weeks, dominating headlines and coverage at major news institutions as journalists and independent creators dig through the files for embarrassing nuggets of association about high-profile individuals.
    Max Tani, semafor.com, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Anika Gandhi is a former electrical engineer and the creator of Anika’s DIY Life, an approachable online resource for beginners interested in power tools, woodworking, and other DIY projects.
    Kate Donovan, Martha Stewart, 8 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • But now, a series of tea parties with an ape named Kanzi suggests some of our closest ancestors may have this ability too.
    Suzanne Nuyen, NPR, 11 Feb. 2026
  • The findings also suggest that herbivory evolved independently in several different groups of early land vertebrates, not just in the ancestors of modern reptiles.
    Lily Hautau, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • In 2025, the region lost 20,000 jobs, a decline spawned by employment losses of 8,400 in the East Bay, 6,400 in the San Francisco-San Mateo region, and 3,500 in the South Bay.
    George Avalos, Mercury News, 7 Feb. 2026
  • The movie had two sequels and spawned theme-park rides, video games and a TV cartoon series.
    Rod Stafford Hagwood, Sun Sentinel, 5 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Father.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/father. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.

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