1
as in vanguard
the innovators of new concepts, styles, and techniques especially in the arts
an artist who was in the van of abstract expressionism
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in forefront
the leading or most important part of a movement
a company that is considered by some to be in the van of the latest technology for renewable energy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of van
By mid-afternoon Friday, dozens of fans clustered near MSG as black SUVs and vans with tinted windows, presumably filled with wedding attendees, turned the corner toward the stadium.
—
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
3 July 2026
White delivery vans with orange Katapulk logos splashed across each side delivered goods all over the island.
—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
There will be hundreds of cooling centers, from the Javits Center convention hall to vans to outdoor spots with misting fans.
—
ABC News,
1 July 2026
For the first time, the city is deploying 15 mobile cool vans staffed with nurses and paramedics.
—
Aziza Shuler,
CBS News,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for van
Karen Garcia,
Los Angeles Times,
3 July 2026
White delivery vans with orange Katapulk logos splashed across each side delivered goods all over the island.
—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
1 July 2026
There will be hundreds of cooling centers, from the Javits Center convention hall to vans to outdoor spots with misting fans.
—
ABC News,
1 July 2026
For the first time, the city is deploying 15 mobile cool vans staffed with nurses and paramedics.
—
Aziza Shuler,
CBS News,
30 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for van
Recent Examples of Synonyms for van
Noun
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Columbia waded into the rock vanguard after Davis attended the Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967 at the behest of its organizer Lou Adler, whose Ode Records was distributed by CBS.
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Linklater was a vanguard of the indie film movement of the 1990s.
Noun
-
For one official in Los Angeles County, the threat of a fire was at the forefront.
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French oak contributes richness without overwhelming the fruit, allowing citrus, stone fruit and fresh acidity to remain at the forefront.
Noun
-
When P-waves start radiating from the earthquake underground, Android phones sense the vibrations, start collecting data and send it back to Google servers for processing.
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Invisible hands strap her legs onto the stirrups, an iron fist plunging her through a tunneling, gravity‑bending, black underground.
Noun
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As a kid, Grant was an Eagle scout, and essentially built a historical trail after discovering pioneer grave sites.
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The pioneer of the world’s largest Bitcoin asset treasury attended the president’s first crypto summit at the White House in March 2025.
Cite this Entry
“Van.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/van. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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