variants
also forbear
as in ancestor
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent
his forebears came to America on the Mayflower
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forebear
Eight Dukes of Wellington and two very full centuries on from that 1825 procession, on this June 16, the 9th Duke rode, as each of his forbears did and as the future heirs to the ducal title will do, in the lead carriage with the king to open Royal Ascot.
—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Since then, Istanbul has seen only mayors from his AKP party and its forebears, the Welfare and Virtue parties.
—
Kaya Genç,
The Dial,
9 June 2026
In 1786, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson visited the site to see where, almost a century and a half earlier, their forebears had fought to dethrone a king, showing the world that another system of government was possible.
—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2026
Reopening the door to China in 1972, Richard Nixon reawakened his forebears’ dream of making China embrace American-style democracy and capitalism.
—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for forebear
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2026
Since then, Istanbul has seen only mayors from his AKP party and its forebears, the Welfare and Virtue parties.
—
Kaya Genç,
The Dial,
9 June 2026
In 1786, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson visited the site to see where, almost a century and a half earlier, their forebears had fought to dethrone a king, showing the world that another system of government was possible.
—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2026
Reopening the door to China in 1972, Richard Nixon reawakened his forebears’ dream of making China embrace American-style democracy and capitalism.
—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for forebear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forebear
Noun
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Kean comes from a long line of public servants, stretching 250 years to the country’s founding when one of his ancestors became New Jersey’s first leader since independence.
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One of these is likely the evolutionary ancestor of all that is to come.
Noun
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In 1926, Brian's great-grandfather, Henry Knoebel, opened a pool that would mark the official start of the family’s park.
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The supplies will be taken to Miami and then Venezuela by Olarte Transport, said volunteer Andrea Casanova, 28, whose grandfather was in Venezuela when the earthquakes struck.
Noun
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The news of the arrest caught the attention of the family of Amy McHale, a woman who was once married to Horsch’s father and disappeared nearly 10 years ago.
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Her oldest sister, Sonia Gonzalez, said Gonzalez reminds her a lot of their father, who reinvented himself many times over the years.
Cite this Entry
“Forebear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forebear. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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