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
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
Michelle Tchea, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2025
There will also be a new adaptation of Samuel Barber and Gian Carlo Menotti's opera Vanessa that will be directed by avant-garde opera director R.B. Schlather.
—Sharareh Drury, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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
While Barcelona is widely popular for its avant-garde food scene and beautiful beaches, Madrid—a traditional city rooted in history—remains one of my favorite places for fashion and shopping.
—Michelle Tchea, Travel + Leisure, 24 Apr. 2025
There will also be a new adaptation of Samuel Barber and Gian Carlo Menotti's opera Vanessa that will be directed by avant-garde opera director R.B. Schlather.
—Sharareh Drury, People.com, 21 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for avant-garde
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avant-garde
Adjective
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This region is home to the greatest share of women having children at 40 and older — a trend that experts chalk up to a combination of economic opportunity, progressive social norms and access to reproductive technology.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2025
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Last but not least, Lavia’s progressive passing talents make Marescaball much more watchable for supporters — as long as his body holds up.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
Noun
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The sense that reopened doors to a market of hundreds of millions of potential fans and recent pledges between Korea, China, and Japan to deepen economic ties could be an important cultural vanguard for greater future harmony and opportunity.—
Jeff Benjamin,
Forbes.com,
1 May 2025
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Ghazi is part of a vanguard of ultrarich investors betting on a particularly down-and-out asset: San Francisco commercial real estate.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The first-generation satellite system will include more than 3,200 advanced low-Earth orbit satellites, which will be delivered across more than 80 launches in the coming years.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2025
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However, some experts question whether the impoverished and largely isolated nation could develop such advanced capabilities without foreign assistance.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
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By downplaying riders’ fears, advocates have allowed the MTA to be framed as a lawless underground.—
David Garten,
New York Daily News,
28 Apr. 2025
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Hannah said Iran’s secretive underground Fordow nuclear fuel enrichment plant and Natanz nuclear site were where Iran was caught digging tunnels in the mountains.—
Benjamin Weinthal,
FOXNews.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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That meant the movie, which sees an unconventional band of antiheroes brought together to combat a supervillain, escaped a decision by China to curb Hollywood imports earlier this month as part of its retaliation against the United States.—
Casey Hall and Sophie Yu,
USA Today,
1 May 2025
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From backing unconventional shows like Stranger Things to challenging Hollywood’s release models, Netflix has cultivated a ‘risk position’ that runs through its culture, structure, leadership, and decision-making.—
London School of Economics,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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His tunes draw on a broad spectrum of Black American music, seamlessly encompassing blues, funk and R&B along with bebop and avant garde directions forged by Ornette Coleman (which are also steeped in the blues).—
Andrew Gilbert,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2025
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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
Adjective
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The ability to influence others and follow through on commitments becomes more essential in the modern world.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
3 May 2025
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Recently, that’s meant enlisting a slew of TikTok creators to pass along the pro-milk mantle to a new generation of consumers that grew up in the age of almond milk, quietly advancing a more inclusive ideal of the modern milk drinker.—
HubSpot,
HubSpot,
2 May 2025
Adjective
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Experts credited the surge to buying from the Asian market, and China in particular, telling Newsweek that gold bugs in both the public and private spheres appear to be increasingly banking on the metal's long-term safe-haven status, given the contemporary threats facing global trade.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Apr. 2025
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From Schitt’s Creek to Sort Of, the CBC never stops cranking out funny shows that feel gentle, wholesome, and family-oriented but also contemporary.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
30 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Avant-garde.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avant-garde. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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