as in progressive
being or employing the latest concepts, styles, or techniques
a very avant-garde artist whose works wouldn't even be considered art by many traditionalists
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in vanguard
the innovators of new concepts, styles, and techniques especially in the arts
to the theater world's avant-garde, the melodrama seemed like a very old-fashioned play whose time had come and gone
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of avant-garde
Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2026
Since the 1970s, Bulgari’s design language has been defined by the avant-garde with its combination of precious gold with stainless steel.
—Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 20 Apr. 2026
Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Across town, drummer/impresario Mike Reed stages a tribute of his own to the city’s avant-garde, delving into everything from AACM bassist Fred Hopkins’ oeuvre to music composed in Chicago between 1980 and 2010.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
Adjective
The director’s ninth film is based on two stories by influential avant-garde cartoonist Yoshiharu Tsuge, who passed away last month.
—Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 24 Apr. 2026
Since the 1970s, Bulgari’s design language has been defined by the avant-garde with its combination of precious gold with stainless steel.
—Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
Her drawl, verbosity, and avant-garde black-and-white outfits were immediately embedded in popular culture; O’Hara won an Emmy for the role.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
Across town, drummer/impresario Mike Reed stages a tribute of his own to the city’s avant-garde, delving into everything from AACM bassist Fred Hopkins’ oeuvre to music composed in Chicago between 1980 and 2010.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avant-garde
Adjective
-
Knock on doors, raise money for progressive candidates, and mobilize your friends, neighbors, colleagues and acquaintances.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Despite taking a progressive stand on labor, the Church nonetheless defended industrialization and private-property rights, forging a middle way that rejected both unfettered capitalism and socialism.—
Elias Wachtel,
The Atlantic,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Yes, Barcelona comes across normally as a cool place, a vanguard city which everybody wants to visit.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
25 Apr. 2026
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Teyana Taylor is taking her fashion vanguard reputation to new heights in the desert.—
Lara Walsh,
InStyle,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
With three Game 6s taking place on Thursday, two teams advanced to the second round.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
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Satellite images showed that Tehran’s main targets included advanced radar systems, communications systems and aircraft.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
This plant is intended to store large quantities of hydrogen underground.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Earlier this year, the group released a cypher, positioning ØWay as a prominent collective from Atlanta’s underground.—
Oba Awolowo,
Pitchfork,
27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Accessories are getting more unconventional, too.—
Lauren Fisher,
Footwear News,
1 May 2026
-
In sharp contrast to the region’s traditional stone dwellings, the experimental concrete home—designed in his mid-20s with collaborators Roland Baltera and François Seigneur—stands out for its angular, unconventional form.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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For a pioneering English thespian, whose career has been largely defined by a character consumed with obsession, this particular project carries an unintended symbolism.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
30 Apr. 2026
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The Germans also brought the art of classification to new heights of sophistication, culminating at the turn of the twentieth century with the pioneering work of Emil Kraepelin.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The Italian experimentalist goes absolutely haywire on a very overwhelming, very fun half-hour of ecstatic avant metal.—
Sam Goldner,
Pitchfork,
30 Mar. 2026
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Cabin in the Sky, for its part, evokes artistry beyond the genre, like Stereolab’s Margarine Eclipse, where the Chicago avant-pop band struggled to process the loss of longtime member Mary Hansen.—
Mosi Reeves,
Rolling Stone,
25 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Yet another secondary effect of the Iran war is the expansion of modern drone warfare to the Persian Gulf region.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Clinics use modern equipment and high-quality materials and keep prices affordable.—
K.H. Koehler,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Avant-garde.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avant-garde. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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