1
as in eager
having or showing signs of eagerly awaiting something
expectant crowds gathered at the spot where the President was scheduled to make an appearance
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in pregnant
containing unborn young within the body
a medication that should not be taken by expectant women without permission from their doctors
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in candidate
one who seeks an office, honor, position, or award
divinity students who were all expectants for a curacy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of expectant
Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2025
His advice to expectant parents who are on the fence is to talk to their doctor about the shots.
—Jackie Fortiér, NPR, 3 Dec. 2025
Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 28 June 2025
In the end, this expectant father learned a valuable — and slightly embarrassing — lesson: sometimes, the best thing to say during a poignant moment is nothing at all.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for expectant
Adjective
Doulas advise and assist expectant parents on everything from pregnancy aches and pains to the birth itself.
—Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Dec. 2025
His advice to expectant parents who are on the fence is to talk to their doctor about the shots.
—Jackie Fortiér, NPR, 3 Dec. 2025
Noun
In an emergency appeal, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to let the policy go into effect for everyone other than the specific expectant parents named in the lawsuits or, at most, any member of the immigrant rights groups or residents of a state that challenged the policy.
—Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 28 June 2025
In the end, this expectant father learned a valuable — and slightly embarrassing — lesson: sometimes, the best thing to say during a poignant moment is nothing at all.
—Tereza Shkurtaj, People.com, 28 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for expectant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for expectant
Adjective
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Thousands of fans huddled against the cold during one election rally in Tokyo last week, all eager for a glimpse of Takaichi.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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This is one of the Tex-Mex restaurants that has welcomed celebrities eager to try traditional Texas dishes.—
Imelda García,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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There’s also confusion about what the pregnant body can and can’t handle, says Alexandra Hamilton, MD, OB-GYN at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital.—
Hannah Silverman,
Parents,
8 Feb. 2026
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The 2-year-old was looking down at her mom's pregnant tummy.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walker recommended that the council hear from each candidate before making an appointment.—
Hema Sivanandam,
Mercury News,
12 Feb. 2026
-
Republican and Democratic candidates often explain the state of the economy differently.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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But that doesn’t mean there won’t be any adjustment in how its firms proceed there in the face of a more watchful US.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
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For over two decades, efforts to lift the Oakland Police Department out from under the watchful eye of a federal judge have fallen short.—
Shomik Mukherjee,
Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Cochran-Siegle will land in Italy this month for his third Olympic Games, the top American hopeful in the men’s Alpine events, 54 years after his mother, Barbara, brought home gold in women’s slalom.—
Zak Keefer,
New York Times,
2 Feb. 2026
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The championship hopefuls from the Fort Worth area could clash with DeSoto in an eventual playoff run.—
Charles Baggarly,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The evening Regal crowd was more enthusiastic than BAM’s afternoon set.—
Rachel Handler,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
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If this sounds like the future, the El Paso incident is a reminder that the future has paperwork to contend with and that not everyone is enthusiastic.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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This year’s edition drew more than 2,400 applicants from all over the world.—
Joelle Diderich,
Footwear News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Additionally, in surveys of applicants over the last 12 years, just 6% said Moore's status as a women's college was important to their decision to attend.—
Laura Fay,
CBS News,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Room counts are low, anticipatory service is high, and above all else, each is set in a remarkable location and designed in a way that highlights its surroundings.—
Jake Emen,
Robb Report,
22 Jan. 2026
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One aspect of the case that Keating finds curious is the Rose Bowl’s claim of anticipatory breach given that UCLA has not played a home game anywhere else for more than four decades.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Expectant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/expectant. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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