as in first
coming before all others in time or order
the earliest computers were massive machines that practically filled up a room
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earliest
Adjective
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Maryland trailed 22-15 after the first quarter then trimmed that deficit to just two entering halftime, erasing its slow start by closing the half on a 7-0 run and making its eventual comeback more manageable.—
Taylor Lyons,
Baltimore Sun,
18 Feb. 2025 -
With consumer spending making up about two-thirds of all economic activity in the U.S., the sales numbers indicate a potential weakening in growth for the first quarter.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Current case numbers include those that occurred between the initial 2018 incident and now, as the outbreak is ongoing. Need a break?—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA TODAY,
23 Feb. 2025
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Despite the initial fight over the bill, Kemp’s power and influence appear to have won out and advanced the bill.—
Ross O'Keefe,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
22 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The film also won best actor for Brody at the BAFTAs, as well as best cinematography and best original score.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA TODAY,
19 Feb. 2025
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An epic poem from Homer, the original literary classic explored themes of heroism, loyalty, cunning and the struggle against divine will, featuring stories like Odysseus’ encounters with the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens and the witch-goddess Circe, culminating in a reunion with his wife Penelope.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Before becoming one of America’s foremost historians, a Pulitzer Prize winner and writer of seminal books on Abraham Lincoln (a basis for the Steven Spielberg film Lincoln), Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Teddy Roosevelt and Johnson, Kearns Goodwin became a White House Fellow under LBJ.—
Mike Fleming Jr,
Deadline,
14 Feb. 2025
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At his death in 1996, he was considered one of the country’s foremost historians of the Black experience in America.—
Jeffrey Boutwell,
Baltimore Sun,
12 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Earliest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earliest. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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