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
Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, avant-garde heavy rockers Deftones became unexpected TikTok darlings and arena stars.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Teyana Taylor has arrived at the Oscars 2026—and her look is a dazzling, avant-garde statement if ever there was one.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
Adjective
With its technical prowess and avant-garde ambitions, many would argue that fashion belongs on the same plane as painting or sculpture.
—Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2026
Meanwhile, avant-garde heavy rockers Deftones became unexpected TikTok darlings and arena stars.
—Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
Noun
The book market of a new country—Russia—was flooded with memoirs of repression and camp testimony, along with émigré and avant-garde writing, much of it never published before.
—Literary Hub, 18 Mar. 2026
Teyana Taylor has arrived at the Oscars 2026—and her look is a dazzling, avant-garde statement if ever there was one.
—Meg Walters, InStyle, 15 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avant-garde
Adjective
-
In the movie, which was progressive for its time, the trans character attempts suicide after being subjected to emotional and physical abuse by the manipulative Sonny, who tries to make amends by going rogue and stealing money for their surgery.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Upstairs, Riva Terrace is a super-fun warm-weather spot for Italian small plates and progressive cocktails like First Light (a pineapple-run creation infused with ginger and ginseng) overlooking the outdoor pool and the office buildings of downtown.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
As the old vanguard of civil rights leaders pass, who will fill the void?—
Brittany Luse,
NPR,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The once-insurgent vanguards who cast their first votes for Barack Obama have relinquished their cool factor to Gen Z, who will one day undergo the same process themselves as time continues its relentless march forward.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Lightrocket | Getty Images Cybersecurity stocks slumped on Friday following a report that Anthropic is testing a powerful new artificial intelligence model that is more advanced in cyber capabilities and also presents potential security risks.—
Samantha Subin,
CNBC,
27 Mar. 2026
-
With the right investment in advanced water treatment and responsible discharge practices, the industry can help protect the very ecosystems that make cruising possible.—
Steve Adelstein,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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His father was forged by years of revolutionary hardship—prison, persecution, life underground—before coming to power and reportedly amassing a war chest exceeding $100 billion, built in part from properties confiscated from religious minorities who fled persecution.—
Karim Sadjadpour,
The Atlantic,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Bunn had previously used AI to search for new sources of oil underground, but pivoted to medical work after his wife had a series of miscarriages.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Twenty years after the end of Laguna Beach, Lauren Conrad, Stephen Colletti and Kristin Cavallari are having an unconventional high school reunion.—
Kirsten Chuba,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
-
But the highest threat still comes from Iran’s unconventional arsenal, like drones, fast-attack small vessels and even unmanned boats that are filled with explosives.—
Annette Choi,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The plan, known as Project Chariot, generated intense debate, as well as a pioneering environmental study of Arctic food webs.—
Christine Keiner,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2026
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The shift in women's sports is both gratifying and bittersweet for players and coaches from the pioneering schools that helped spark this current growth.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 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
-
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
-
But this modern approach is teamed with ancient medicinal practices and a holistic, full-circle philosophy.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Those are just some of the ways in which the three elements have become critical for modern manufacturing, including for defense.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Avant-garde.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avant-garde. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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