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
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ancestor
Mills just completed a book about one of Lathrop’s ancestors.
—
Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 10 Feb. 2026
And for students, mapping cemeteries provided a space to build community among their peers – and with their community ancestors.
—Robbyn Abbitt, The Conversation, 10 Feb. 2026
Thailand to keep international balance act Thailand is America’s oldest ally in Asia while also boasts a thriving ethnically Chinese diaspora, including Anutin, whose ancestors hail from Guangdong province.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
Their ancestors had carved a civilization out of the ice with tools made from whalebone and meteorite fragments.
—Ken Harbaugh, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Sean Krofssik, Hartford Courant, 10 Feb. 2026
And for students, mapping cemeteries provided a space to build community among their peers – and with their community ancestors.
—Robbyn Abbitt, The Conversation, 10 Feb. 2026
Thailand to keep international balance act Thailand is America’s oldest ally in Asia while also boasts a thriving ethnically Chinese diaspora, including Anutin, whose ancestors hail from Guangdong province.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
Their ancestors had carved a civilization out of the ice with tools made from whalebone and meteorite fragments.
—Ken Harbaugh, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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Sheila Bridges also comes to mind as such a forerunner for our community, embracing the beauty of our heritage and culture.—
Ashley Chalmers,
The Spruce,
11 Feb. 2026
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The forerunner of British Invasion took the summit of American entertainment, which was a huge deal across generations.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Their accounts gave me shivers of recognition—their experiences echoed my father’s stories.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
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The two become inseparable, to the dismay of Cathy’s paid companion Nelly (Vi Nguyen), and only become closer after Heathcliff takes a beating on Cathy’s behalf from her alcoholic father (Martin Clunes) for missing his birthday celebration.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Commercial prediction markets have resisted efforts by states to classify and regulate them as gambling companies, insisting that they — like their precursor in Iowa — should be overseen by federal regulators.—
Suzy Khimm,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
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There’s a direct line from Licklider’s work to ARPANET, a precursor to the internet and World Wide Web, through the work of Robert Taylor, Doug Engelbart, Ted Nelson, and Tim Berners-Lee.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Anutin has been prime minister only since last September, after serving in the Cabinet of his immediate predecessor, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was forced out of office for an ethics violation regarding mishandling relations with Cambodia.—
GRANT PECK,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
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The Crew-12 mission was bumped up a few days so the astronauts can get to an understaffed space station after the mission's Crew-11 predecessors were medically evacuated in mid-January.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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An international research collaboration co-led by UCLA has developed a nickel-iron battery prototype that recharges in seconds and maintains its performance for over 12,000 cycles.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
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Rivian has unveiled a prototype of its upcoming $45,000 electric SUV, the R2, which company officials say will be crucial to its long-term future as a viable automaker.—
Keith Laing,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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