1
as in dad
a male human parent
the special relationship that exists between fathers and sons
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in founder
a person who establishes a whole new field of endeavor
Sir Isaac Newton is regarded by many as the father of modern science
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in grandfather
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent
our fathers founded this nation on the fundamental belief that no person is entitled to rule by divine right
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in Lord
capitalized
the being worshipped as the creator and ruler of the universe
let us ask humbly for the blessings of our Father in heaven
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 father
Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2025
Taylor plans to fill his father’s closet with Jets gear.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
In total, Musk has fathered 14 children, People and Reuters reported.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for father
Noun
Ozzy followed in his father’s footsteps, first playing at Boston College High and later at Boston College.
—Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2025
Taylor plans to fill his father’s closet with Jets gear.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Verb
Roughly 64% of respondents, for example, said they were concerned about reports of firing Social Security Administration employees versus 22% who said the same about Musk fathering more than a dozen children.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
In total, Musk has fathered 14 children, People and Reuters reported.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for father
Recent Examples of Synonyms for father
Noun
-
Clint followed in his dad’s footsteps, both in deed and demeanor.—
Jenni Carlson,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
In September 2017, Sierra decided to live with her dad full-time.—
Natalie Morales, Richard Fetzer,
CBS News,
19 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Among the mourners was Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks, who attended with his family.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Apr. 2025
-
The conference will also feature prominent content creators including Dinesh Vijan, founder and CEO of India’s Maddock Films, and Angga Dwimas Sasongko, founder of Indonesia’s Visinema Pictures, who have been driving local storytelling in their respective markets.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Given his grandfather’s negative views on homosexuality, Min has not yet discussed being gay with his grandmother.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Steve Polidori joined his grandfather at the family’s meat-processing facility while studying at Colorado State University in the early ’90s and stayed on after graduation.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Both Citizen Bull and $3.2 million yearling purchase Barnes were sired by Into Mischief.—
Jay Ginsbach,
Forbes.com,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Drake also claimed one of Lamar’s kids was actually sired by Lamar’s business partner.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Carter Michael Gaudreau — same middle name as his daddy.—
David Matthews,
New York Daily News,
7 Apr. 2025
-
Of course, Ted’s anger came down to his own daddy issues.—
Vlada Gelman,
TVLine,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
LucasFilm then tapped Locke's Steven Knight to replace The Leftovers creator, though Knight, too, left the project, which may now be in limbo.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Muniz will reunite with his sitcom parents Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek in the four-episode revival from the Emmy-winning original series creator, Linwood Boomer.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Like all Guna, Lisa’s ancestors were not native island dwellers.—
Mark Johanson,
AFAR Media,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Water bottle The modern-day source of water for many people—their water bottle—may be just as germ-filled as our ancient ancestors’ go-to watering hole.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Further, the program served a Cold War purpose: the abundance produced by American farmers alleviated the worst kinds of human suffering that had spawned tyranny abroad.—
Made by History,
Time,
23 Apr. 2025
-
For years, Bravo has had a lock on the traditional reality series with its Real Housewives universe, a franchise that has spawned 12 shows, nine of which are still on the air, as well as 25 standalone spinoffs.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Father.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/father. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share