as in progressive
being or employing the latest concepts, styles, or techniques
a very avant-garde artist whose works wouldn't even be considered art by many traditionalists
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in vanguard
the innovators of new concepts, styles, and techniques especially in the arts
to the theater world's avant-garde, the melodrama seemed like a very old-fashioned play whose time had come and gone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of avant-garde
Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
Her work is the apex of the avant-garde made accessible, high-minded and emotionally charged without being alienating.
—David Harris, SPIN, 11 May 2026
Marissa Lorusso, Pitchfork, 3 May 2026
To Kim, the blueprint comes from Rei Kawakubo, the avant-garde founder behind the cult favorite label Comme des Garçons.
—Diana Tsui, Footwear News, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
Adjective
The avant-garde exoticism of Spark’s dress was typical of Schiaparelli’s work.
—Literary Hub, 11 May 2026
Her work is the apex of the avant-garde made accessible, high-minded and emotionally charged without being alienating.
—David Harris, SPIN, 11 May 2026
Noun
But just a few miles away from Chicago and Schapiro’s avant-garde wonderland, in West Hollywood, lay another IRL feminist utopia called Fanny Hill.
—Marissa Lorusso, Pitchfork, 3 May 2026
To Kim, the blueprint comes from Rei Kawakubo, the avant-garde founder behind the cult favorite label Comme des Garçons.
—Diana Tsui, Footwear News, 3 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avant-garde
Adjective
-
Like some progressive consensus at the center, but that's not there.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
-
But California pushes its progressive tax system to the extreme.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Now entering its third year, Athlos is among a new vanguard of professional track and field events aimed at modernizing the sport for the streaming era and growing its audience in non-Olympic years.—
Scott Soshnick,
Sportico.com,
20 May 2026
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Hekt’s debut album heralds a union between the left-field pop scene of his native Copenhagen and the influential Glasgow label Numbers, whose formidable run of 2010s releases—including several landmark SOPHIE singles—has left a neon imprint on the new Danish vanguard.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
1 May 2026
Adjective
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Wood has trained fighters of all ages and says that the biggest difference in training those of a more advanced age (particularly over 40) is injuries.—
Sarah Shephard,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
-
The competitive clinic market has also pushed standards higher, with advanced technology and meticulous service now the norm for visitors seeking everything from a basic facial to more involved cosmetic procedures.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
15 May 2026
Noun
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Though many people come to far West Texas for its isolation—the Unabomber’s slightly less reclusive brother did a stint here in the eighties, living at first in a crude underground shelter—Miller said that immigration-enforcement agents have been an intrusive presence for many years.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
The Warsaw Rising Museum illustrates the plight of the Polish underground and the 63-day-long resistance against the German occupation.—
Kasia Dietz,
Travel + Leisure,
13 May 2026
Adjective
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Yet, intriguingly, there’s also been scattered rumors about how his unconventional campaign can be turned into TV content that harkens back to his MTV days.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
15 May 2026
-
That’s an act of service in an animation landscape where most American studios fear crafting anything remotely unconventional or unequivocally adult-oriented.—
Carlos Aguilar,
Variety,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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John Barbour, whose role in creating, producing and co-hosting the 1979-1984 NBC series Real People is recognized as a pioneering effort in the popularity of reality TV, died from natural causes on Sunday, May 10, at his home in Las Vegas.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
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Jimmy was modeled after experimental artists like Ron Vawter, of The Wooster Group, and Frank Maya, a pioneering gay comedian — men who died young but fought to create until their last breath.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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The Italian experimentalist goes absolutely haywire on a very overwhelming, very fun half-hour of ecstatic avant metal.—
Sam Goldner,
Pitchfork,
30 Mar. 2026
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Cabin in the Sky, for its part, evokes artistry beyond the genre, like Stereolab’s Margarine Eclipse, where the Chicago avant-pop band struggled to process the loss of longtime member Mary Hansen.—
Mosi Reeves,
Rolling Stone,
25 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Inspired by the design of classic tuxedo shirts, this modern twist has a cropped fit, pintucked front details, and button cuffs.—
Caroline Hughes,
Travel + Leisure,
20 May 2026
-
Occupying four townhouses, its two-year refurbishment by award-winning architects Holland Harvey and interior designers Studio Est and Studio Mica has created something warm and true to its heritage yet modern, nature-focused and committed to social impact.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Avant-garde.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avant-garde. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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