as in families
a group of people who are related that maintain a powerful position for a long time
The latest heirs of the ruling dynasty have no interest in ceding their position of authority over the land.
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Recent Examples of dynasties
But empires fall, and dynasties crumble.
—
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026
The Patriots are the only franchise to have back-to-back dynasties, with the first coming in the 2000s, followed by another in the 2010s.
—Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Evidently, neither did, despite leading one of the most successful and longest-running dynasties in the history of modern professional sports.
—Zack Cox, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2026
Older brother Matthew, 28, is one of the architects of the NHL’s current dynasties, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Florida Panthers.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 28 Jan. 2026
In some dynasties, the lineage is clear—the Trumps and the Kennedys are a long line of nesting nepo babies.
—Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 16 Jan. 2026
History is everywhere in Okinawa, which from 1429 to 1879 was the Ryukyu Kingdom, a tributary state under China’s Ming and Qing dynasties.
—Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 16 Jan. 2026
Fantasy, at its grandest, is about wars, dynasties, prophecies, and the long shadow of history, action, and consequences.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
Colors take center stage, embedding references to the paintings and glasswork in European churches, the hues of the natural landscape in China’s Dunhuang county, as well as to the iconography and embroideries from the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern dynasties in ancient China.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Jan. 2026
Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026
The Patriots are the only franchise to have back-to-back dynasties, with the first coming in the 2000s, followed by another in the 2010s.
—Saad Yousuf, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Evidently, neither did, despite leading one of the most successful and longest-running dynasties in the history of modern professional sports.
—Zack Cox, Hartford Courant, 3 Feb. 2026
Older brother Matthew, 28, is one of the architects of the NHL’s current dynasties, winning back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Florida Panthers.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 28 Jan. 2026
In some dynasties, the lineage is clear—the Trumps and the Kennedys are a long line of nesting nepo babies.
—Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 16 Jan. 2026
History is everywhere in Okinawa, which from 1429 to 1879 was the Ryukyu Kingdom, a tributary state under China’s Ming and Qing dynasties.
—Catherine Garcia, TheWeek, 16 Jan. 2026
Fantasy, at its grandest, is about wars, dynasties, prophecies, and the long shadow of history, action, and consequences.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 15 Jan. 2026
Colors take center stage, embedding references to the paintings and glasswork in European churches, the hues of the natural landscape in China’s Dunhuang county, as well as to the iconography and embroideries from the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern dynasties in ancient China.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dynasties
Noun
-
For Sokolowski, the magnitude of the threat urgently requires more awareness and intervention both by law enforcement as well as health care workers, teachers and families.—
Curt Devine,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
-
San Francisco public schools shut down on Monday as teachers went on strike demanding improved healthcare benefits and pay raises, leaving the families of some 50,000 students scrambling for child care and meals.—
Christopher Buchanan,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Ten clans or more gather at the end of the movie.—
Ingrid Schmidt,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Some of those clans have since dwindled or decamped for more populated areas.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There are signs that lawmakers in both parties see the benefits of taking steps to add houses before this year's elections.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Sixty-five warming spaces — located at hospitals, houses of worship and schools — are active around town throughout the weekend, with warming buses also parked outside many of the hospitals and also transit hubs.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
But empires fall, and dynasties crumble.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Situated at the crossroads of empires — from Persian and Roman to Byzantine, Arab and Ottoman — it has long been shaped by conquest and survival.—
Marlise Kast-Myers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
That's eight different categories, three tribes of 24.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The pact with Washington, Oregon and four Native American tribes had allowed for a pause in the litigation.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Discovering a site like this allows archaeologists to further understand the culture and society of early medieval England, when the country was fragmented into several kingdoms but rulers like Offa were beginning to unify it and Alfred the Great was fighting off Viking invaders.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The burial ground dates back to a significant time in English history, when regional kingdoms started to form and consolidate power.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dynasties.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dynasties. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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