avant-garde 1 of 2

avant-garde

2 of 2

noun

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of avant-garde
Adjective
Active in avant-garde music on the European music scene, Bertelmann frequently employs prepared piano and electronics. Jon Burlingame, Variety, 12 Mar. 2023 The nude, floor-length frock hinted at old Hollywood, perhaps a nod to mom Janet Leigh, but with the avant-garde touch of exterior boning in the corset. Christopher Muther, BostonGlobe.com, 12 Mar. 2023
Noun
The other was the vigorous argument between abstraction and figuration as front runner of the avant-garde, then being hard-fought in the American art world. Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2025 Foreman was a director and pioneer of America’s artistic and intellectual avant-garde. Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avant-garde
Adjective
  • California voters further reversed progressive policies by passing Proposition 36, which enhances penalties for theft and drug offenses.
    Carson Becker, The Washington Examiner, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Alon-Lee Green, the founding co-director of Standing Together, a progressive grassroots movement, told CNN that young people aren’t at fault for the extremist attitudes that are dividing wider Israeli society.
    Kara Fox, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Other major award winners at the ceremony included Glen Powell, who won star of the year, as well as Ana de Armas, who won action star of the year and Lindsay Lohan, who won the event's vanguard award.
    Tommy McArdle, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
  • Gerwig, at age 41, represents film culture’s new feminist vanguard; her renown is an extension of the media celebration that established the international activism of Thunberg, now 22.
    Armond White, National Review, 5 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Additionally, the drainage of lesions, their pain, and the smell that advanced lesions can produce additionally cause patients to modify their social lives and interactions with others.
    Team Verywell Health, Verywell Health, 3 Apr. 2025
  • More than 30 coin dealers will have high quality coins for the beginner to advanced collectors.
    Joe Rassel, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • In the ever-evolving cyber underground, ransomware extortionists have grown to become perhaps the most sophisticated and formidable threat.
    Etay Maor, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025
  • Today’s underground will look very different in 10 years, as soil profiles shift, trees grow, animals tunnel, and people dig and build.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • These unconventional or niche markets—whether they’re built around specific lifestyles, cultural shifts, unique services, or underserved consumer segments—can offer less competition, more loyal customers, and a sharper opportunity to stand out.
    Rhett Power, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Turn a Closet into a Book Nook In this bedroom, as well as the other two in the house, Allison made the unconventional decision to remove the closets.
    Amy Panos, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • The collection Olsen’s gown hails from was rife with avant, flowing takes on bows, whether at the shoulders of pastel dresses or at the hips of drop waist dresses or tailored jackets.
    Marissa Muller, WWD, 22 Feb. 2025
  • The gentle, squishy textures of those loops, along with the work of avant jazz harp player Zeena Parkins, make for the strangely appropriate sonic backdrop of some of Björk’s most intimate and erotic songs.
    Al Shipley, SPIN, 22 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • The curved, low-profile silhouette creates a modern spin on the otherwise classic design, while the chair’s high-density foam filling offers superior support.
    Megan Schaltegger, People.com, 9 Apr. 2025
  • The rout has taken the US from a bull stock market to the brink of a bear market — defined as a fall of 20% from its recent peak — faster than under any president in modern history.
    Anna Cooban, CNN Money, 8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Few gallerists in the contemporary design sphere have the singular vision of Nina Yashar, 67.
    Laura May Todd, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2025
  • Essentially the point is that strategies must evolve beyond historical approaches not suited for contemporary events.
    Marshall Shepherd, Forbes.com, 6 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Avant-garde.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avant-garde. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

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