1
as in grandfathers
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent
Bridie's Irish ancestors immigrated to the United States in the 19th century during the Great Potato Famine
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in forerunners
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
pinball machines—the ancestors of today's video games—go back to the 19th century
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ancestors
All of us are here because, over millennia of acts of God and wars and disease, our ancestors trusted the hours.
—
Literary Hub, 30 Apr. 2026
Regardless of whether plans are rejigged, there will be plenty of pomp and circumstance for Charles, 77, as befitting a state visit of a British king to a country that his ancestors once ruled.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 26 Apr. 2026
By shedding heavy shells like those seen in early nautiloids and ammonites, the ancestors of modern octopuses traded passive defense for active offense.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
The other possible explanation is that the Chumash or their ancestors brought them over.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
Canada’s new citizenship law, effective December, lets Americans with distant Canadian ancestors claim dual nationality—potentially affecting millions and overwhelming immigration lawyers on both sides of the border.
—Sarah Raza, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
The system that once saved people’s lives now makes many miserable over things that would have been unimaginable to their ancestors.
—Phil Starks, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2026
Since the discovery of the bacterial flagellar motor in the 1970s, biologists and creationists alike have marveled at its design like medieval architects staring with awe at the dome of the Pantheon built by their Roman ancestors.
—Quanta Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026
Lagomarsini also discovered material about her ancestors.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Literary Hub, 30 Apr. 2026
Regardless of whether plans are rejigged, there will be plenty of pomp and circumstance for Charles, 77, as befitting a state visit of a British king to a country that his ancestors once ruled.
—Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 26 Apr. 2026
By shedding heavy shells like those seen in early nautiloids and ammonites, the ancestors of modern octopuses traded passive defense for active offense.
—Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2026
The other possible explanation is that the Chumash or their ancestors brought them over.
—Kurt Snibbe, Oc Register, 24 Apr. 2026
Canada’s new citizenship law, effective December, lets Americans with distant Canadian ancestors claim dual nationality—potentially affecting millions and overwhelming immigration lawyers on both sides of the border.
—Sarah Raza, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
The system that once saved people’s lives now makes many miserable over things that would have been unimaginable to their ancestors.
—Phil Starks, The Conversation, 21 Apr. 2026
Since the discovery of the bacterial flagellar motor in the 1970s, biologists and creationists alike have marveled at its design like medieval architects staring with awe at the dome of the Pantheon built by their Roman ancestors.
—Quanta Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026
Lagomarsini also discovered material about her ancestors.
—Zach Helfand, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ancestors
Noun
-
The captains were the fathers, or at least the grandfathers, of this genre.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Her grandfathers were military.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Even the Hammurabi Code, a set of laws created by the sixth Babylonian king in approximately 1760 bce, established forerunners of today’s interest rate and minimum wage laws.—
Chris Roush,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The Norwegian ended his season before the Olympics to further recover from a shoulder injury, but attended the finals as one of the forerunners, who test a course shortly before a race starts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
While there are plenty of fathers who do this job in the modern age, the load-bearing parent is still the mother of the family much more often than not.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Absent parents, especially fathers, represent a significant cause of estrangement; mental illness is often a factor too.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
So does a significant share of the fertilizer precursors and agricultural imports that Gulf states rely on to feed their populations.—
Tenzin Seldon,
Fortune,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The rise coincides with a recent crackdown by the Chinese government on the sale of precursors used to make fentanyl.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The namesake cerdito, or piglet, represents his parents and their predecessors, who were farmers and ranchers in Jalisco on the Pacific side of Mexico.—
Louisa Kung Liu Chu,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
-
In its approach to listening, World Rhythms marks a subtle but important break with its predecessors.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ancestors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ancestors. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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