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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After a night that featured 38 foul calls and a gritty Connecticut team determined to make a statement in Atlanta, the Dream clinched a 91-74 win over the Sun in a back-and-forth matchup that started rough but ended on a high note in their first Commissioner’s Cup game.—
Micahya Costen,
AJC.com,
3 June 2026 -
Haaland could make history as the first female Native American governor if she’s elected.—
Erin Cox,
Washington Post,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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Participants underwent an initial baseline assessment and were assigned individualized vagus nerve stimulation protocols designed by Pulsetto’s clinical team.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2026
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Trump’s initial director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, resigned last month, citing her husband’s recent cancer diagnosis.—
Josh Boak,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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It's been 13 years since that sequel, which shed nearly every major player from the original franchise's cast and crew and added fresh blood like Ashley Tisdale and Lindsay Lohan.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
4 June 2026
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There are other interesting twists to the original story that highlight different parts of the themes of crime, punishment, family and responsibility.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
4 June 2026
Adjective
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Silverman, who leads one of the world’s foremost corporate investigations and risk advisory firms, calls that a category error.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
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Karen Martin, a professor of biology at Pepperdine University and foremost expert on the creatures, will be in attendance, as will retired State Parks ranger Jim Serpa, who ran the program for three decades and helped resurrect it a few years ago.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
1 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Earliest.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earliest. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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