1
as in main
coming before all others in importance
the primal theme of the essay is toleration of religious diversity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ancient
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period
there was a period of primal idealism after the founding of the republic and before the rise of partisan politics
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of primal
Greengrass viewed the story of The Lost Bus through a similar lens, following a micro, primal cinematic story of survival that was ultimately about what these disasters mean on a macro level.
—
Tomris Laffly, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
But Foniadakis demands movement that is far more raw and primal.
—David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4 Sep. 2025
John’s score nimbly dances with the pratfalls and springing traps, never leeching them of their primal, juvenile laughter, but also treating the film’s stuntmen with the same dignity as the Martha Graham ballet company.
—Tim Greiving, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Narrating audiobooks today is the closest thing to that primal art form.
—Adam Verner
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primal
Tomris Laffly, Time, 6 Sep. 2025
But Foniadakis demands movement that is far more raw and primal.
—David Lyman, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4 Sep. 2025
John’s score nimbly dances with the pratfalls and springing traps, never leeching them of their primal, juvenile laughter, but also treating the film’s stuntmen with the same dignity as the Martha Graham ballet company.
—Tim Greiving, Vulture, 3 Sep. 2025
Narrating audiobooks today is the closest thing to that primal art form.
—Adam Verner
september 3, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primal
Adjective
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The character collection leans into more alternate builds for main characters.—
Rob Wieland,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
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Use jig and pigs 18 to 25 feet deep along brush piles or main lake points with a gradual slope.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The norm is for ancient dugouts found in southern Florida to be linked to ancestors of the Calusa, the Seminole or the Miccosukee, according to the Florida Division of Historical Resources.—
Mark Price,
Miami Herald,
15 Sep. 2025
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Scientists can analyze these ancient samples to infer ocean temperature, sea ice cover or levels of atmospheric gases at different moments across thousands of years.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Due to an accidental feature of this primitive technology, the color of television made in the middle nineteen sixties is essentially public, rather than private.—
Scott Stossel,
The Atlantic,
9 Sep. 2025
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Campsites are a step above primitive, with nearby water, pit toilets, picnic tables and food lock-up boxes provided.—
Don Sproul,
Oc Register,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The game’s primary goal is to shed light on the struggles of being forced into a refugee camp.—
Lisa Deaderick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Sep. 2025
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The reason for the Fed’s tentative steps is its two primary and potentially clashing mandates — maximum sustainable employment and price stability.—
Erik Sherman,
Forbes.com,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The wilder West, meanwhile, is marked by vast, primeval cliffs that drop into an unforgiving ocean.—
Zoë Dare Hall,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
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Suddenly, 43 seconds later, the sky cracked open and light came screaming out in a primeval flash of energy.—
David Perlmutt,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The process of resurrection After growing the primordial germ cells, the Colossal scientists plan to edit these with dodo-specific genes.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
18 Sep. 2025
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At the same time, Colossal is using a similar culture to grow the primordial germ cells of the Nicobar pigeon, which is more closely related to the dodo.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
17 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Advertisement Lee believes a key factor is that Korean society has no predominant religion but a smattering of similarly sized faiths that maintain a balanced following without chafing against each other.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
17 Sep. 2025
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Should contempt become the predominant way that two partners communicate with one another, one or both will eventually reach a breaking point.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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On either side of the cool, free-flowing river, hollows flanking the water conceal outtakes from another time—from prehistoric sites dating back thousands of years to untamed wilderness and waterfalls left wholly untouched.—
Katie Strasberg Rousso,
Southern Living,
19 Sep. 2025
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Much of this prehistoric area is buried underwater today, but not all of it.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
18 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Primal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primal. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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