1
as in main
coming before all others in importance
our chief priority this year will be cutting the budget
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in presiding
highest in rank or authority
the chief administrator will be retiring soon
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in body
the main or greater part of something as distinguished from its subordinate parts
the chief of the estate was left to the eldest son
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in leader
the person (as an employer or supervisor) who tells people and especially workers what to do
our chief is out on a business trip right now
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of chief
Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2025
Trump and Vance Released Their Official Inaugural Portraits Last Week
4 hours ago
Ahead of their swearing-in ceremony, Trump and Vance released their official portraits, taken by Trump’s chief photographer, Daniel Torok.
—Kyler Alvord, People.com, 20 Jan. 2025
Aris Folley, The Hill, 21 Jan. 2025
The pilot of that flight was Charlie Bolden, who served as NASA chief during the Obama administration.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 21 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for chief 
Adjective
During the briefings, Johnson’s chief operating officer, John Roberson, nodded to the possibility that GOP control of the presidency and Congress could mean Washington cuts off federal funding to Chicago or Illinois, the sources said.
—Rick Pearson, Chicago Tribune, 20 Jan. 2025
Trump and Vance Released Their Official Inaugural Portraits Last Week
4 hours ago
Ahead of their swearing-in ceremony, Trump and Vance released their official portraits, taken by Trump’s chief photographer, Daniel Torok.
—Kyler Alvord, People.com, 20 Jan. 2025
Noun
Full Story Trump trade battles could spike food prices, help China: former Mexico trade chief
Trade battles being threatened by President Trump would spike food prices, help China and risk key U.S. economic relationships, Mexico’s former trade chief said Monday
Full Story
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—Aris Folley, The Hill, 21 Jan. 2025
The pilot of that flight was Charlie Bolden, who served as NASA chief during the Obama administration.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 21 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for chief
Recent Examples of Synonyms for chief
Adjective
-
Located on the 17th floor of 200 Crescent Court, the locale is a private dining club with a bar and main dining room.—
Brayden Garcia,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
19 Jan. 2025
-
Israel would pull its troops back from Gaza's main population centers in the first stage of the deal, allowing its residents to return to what remains of their homes as more humanitarian aid permeates the Strip and those who are injured receive treatment.—
Ellie Cook,
Newsweek,
19 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
The results showed that Pilates can significantly lower body weight, body mass index (BMI, a measure of body fat based on height and weight), and body fat percentage in adults who are overweight or obese.—
Sarah Jividen,
Verywell Health,
21 Jan. 2025
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The congresswoman committed to pushing for U.S. engagement at technical bodies at the U.N. — such as telecommunications, intellectual property, civil aviation, artificial intelligence — to counter China’s efforts to determine global standards in these arenas.—
Laura Kelly,
The Hill,
21 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
California’s leaders have already begun preparing a counteroffensive to Trump’s policy aims.—
Faith E. Pinho,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Jan. 2025
-
As President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term, a long list of political leaders, tech CEOs, celebrities and others were in attendance in the U.S. Capitol.—
Julia Reinstein,
ABC News,
20 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders.—
Sophie Alcorn,
Forbes,
24 Jan. 2025
-
The evening will be hosted by Young, and will feature readings from some of the foremost poetic voices in America.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
That competition has made securing investments and partnerships all the more important in large part because of the sizable hardware and energy needs required to hone the models at the core of advanced AI.—
Rob Wile,
NBC News,
23 Jan. 2025
-
Financial success and core values can go hand in hand.—
Goro Gupta,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
For about 20 years, beating any two of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic at the same Grand Slam was the men’s tennis final boss.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
The Athletic,
23 Jan. 2025
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In the film, Gascón plays a Mexican crime boss who seeks out a lawyer (Saldaña) who can help the character transition into living as a woman.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Houston’s primary return in the Pressly trade would be salary relief and some flexibility for other acquisitions.—
Sahadev Sharma,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
-
Her primary musical foil is longtime collaborator Koreless, there are also contributions from Marius de Vries (Bjork), Ojivolta (Kanye West, Rose) and many others, although most of the big-name hitmakers (Jeff Bhasker, Stargate, Stuart Price) only pop in for a song or two.—
Jem Aswad,
Variety,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Post dropped 20 points in a commanding win over the Bulls, outplaying the stretch-five prototype Nikola Vucevic on the other side.—
Danny Emerman,
The Mercury News,
24 Jan. 2025
-
This cruiser sports a fierce design, more power, and a commanding presence.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
22 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near chief
Cite this Entry
“Chief.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/chief. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.
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