as in watchful
having or showing signs of eagerly awaiting something
couldn't control his anticipatory excitement on Christmas morning
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of anticipatory
But anticipatory stress is just one of the possible reasons behind these perpetual feelings of sadness during the holidays.
—
Caitlin Pagán, Verywell Health, 18 Dec. 2025
Didion’s book illuminated anticipatory grief and gave me language for my experience.
—Literary Hub, 16 Dec. 2025
Limited strikes can generate anticipatory displacement—families in border and coastal states who were undecided about leaving decide not to wait.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
As Sportico detailed, Pasadena and the RBOC sued UCLA a couple of weeks ago for breach of contract and anticipatory repudiation.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anticipatory
Caitlin Pagán, Verywell Health, 18 Dec. 2025
Didion’s book illuminated anticipatory grief and gave me language for my experience.
—Literary Hub, 16 Dec. 2025
Limited strikes can generate anticipatory displacement—families in border and coastal states who were undecided about leaving decide not to wait.
—Newsweek Staff, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 Nov. 2025
As Sportico detailed, Pasadena and the RBOC sued UCLA a couple of weeks ago for breach of contract and anticipatory repudiation.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for anticipatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for anticipatory
Adjective
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Fueled on coffee and with breaks for lunch and dinner, the two men signed more than 15,000, maybe even upwards of 20,000 comics, in a span of four days under the watchful eyes of reps for a signing and grading company charged with handling the comics.—
Borys Kit,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Apr. 2026
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The trials find Foundayo to be very safe, but Drucker notes that people should continue to keep a watchful eye on any new drug.—
Lauren J. Young,
Scientific American,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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In Chicago, an entire franchise teeters on Bedard’s shoulders, with his youthful teammates propping up that expectant weight.—
Dan Robson,
New York Times,
25 Mar. 2026
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For expectant parents, that can mean safer deliveries and more confident medical teams in the room.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Harmony and an enthusiastic attitude between soldiers are preferred and essential, especially in combat.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Apr. 2026
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The clips have accumulated millions of views and many enthusiastic comments from Western audiences.—
Kyle Chayka,
New Yorker,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But Pineda brings the matter up many times, and is eager to defend himself.—
Andy Greene,
Rolling Stone,
31 Mar. 2026
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With Archer’s amicable exit, the Princess of Wales is eager for the focus to be on her work rather than her outfits.—
Laura Scafati,
Vanity Fair,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Although Amodei, who was leading the company’s safety team, had helped to pitch the deal to Bill Gates, many people on the team were anxious about it, fearing that Microsoft would insert provisions that overrode OpenAI’s ethical commitments.—
Ronan Farrow,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
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On the handful of occasions in each game between them when Jokic catches at the elbow and his teammates clear out, an anxious hush invariably falls over a buzzing arena.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Anticipatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/anticipatory. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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