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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 ancestor
Our ancestors, for all their lack of flossing, rarely had cavities.
—
Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
But the new research provides some answers, hinting that the ancestors of spiders and scorpions may have had a wetter start than traditionally thought.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 22 July 2025
Now, locals whose ancestors once toiled proudly in the quarries have established a movement to shutter them.
—Meara Sharma, The Dial, 22 July 2025
Such cooperative behavior to defend from predators like raptors may have first evolved in our ancestors.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
But the new research provides some answers, hinting that the ancestors of spiders and scorpions may have had a wetter start than traditionally thought.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 22 July 2025
Now, locals whose ancestors once toiled proudly in the quarries have established a movement to shutter them.
—Meara Sharma, The Dial, 22 July 2025
Such cooperative behavior to defend from predators like raptors may have first evolved in our ancestors.
—Joshua Rapp Learn, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ancestor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestor
Noun
-
This is all thanks to Jane Blaffer Owen an oil heiress from Houston (her father was one of the founders of a company that’s now ExxonMobil and her grandfather established the company that ultimately became Texaco), whose husband, Kenneth Dale Owen was a descendent of New Harmony’s founders.—
Rima Suqi,
Forbes.com,
24 July 2025
-
Back in November 2023, Johnson proudly showed off that his granddaughter had dressed up just like her NBA player grandfather.—
Hannah Sacks,
People.com,
24 July 2025
Noun
-
Jarry is often cited as a forerunner to the Dada, surrealist and futurist movements in the early 20th century and later, the theater of the absurd.—
Scott Lafee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 July 2025
-
Gilligan, who also created Saul’s forerunner Breaking Bad, will serve as writer and showrunner.—
Dave Nemetz,
TVLine,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
The son of Joseph, a Native Hawaiian painter, and Coni, an artist largely of European descent, he was born in Honolulu but mostly raised by his mother in Iowa while spending several summers in Hawaii with his father.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
1 Aug. 2025
-
His decision comes as a great disappointment to his father, William Davenport (Scott).—
Caroline Blair,
People.com,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Chinese authorities have since controlled a number of these precursor chemicals.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
12 July 2025
-
As a precursor of sorts for CBS stalwart Survivor (which returns for its 49th edition on September 24), Big Brother is the perfect reality appetizer before the ultimate main course.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
-
Alas, the rest of moisturizer is serious, almost subdued, at least compared with its rollicking predecessor.—
Armin Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
25 July 2025
-
That’s one of the challenges that Gearbox confronted when developing Borderlands 4 (out Sept. 12), a sequel that’s due to arrive in a very different gaming landscape than its predecessor.—
Jonathan Zavaleta,
Rolling Stone,
25 July 2025
Noun
-
The coach’s prototype quickly evolved into a machine featuring a lone basket with a 14-inch rim and a seven-inch ball.—
Daniel Brown,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
-
When one prototype's cooling system underperformed, the retrospective revealed an unexpected airflow pattern that became the key to our final design.—
Wayne Yu,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ancestor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestor. Accessed 5 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share