variants
also forbear
as in ancestor
a person who is several generations earlier in an individual's line of descent
his forebears came to America on the Mayflower
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 forebear
Like his Condé forebears, Graydon had learned to weaponize exclusivity.
—
Michael Grynbaum, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2025
His forebears became famous for their excellent paella, famously serving it to the King of Spain in 1976, and Vidal has helped the dish reach an even wider audience since then.
—Sofia Perez, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
The case was dismissed in 2021, with the presiding judge ruling that the images had not been the property of Lanier’s forebears and thus did not rightfully belong to her.
—News Desk, Artforum, 29 May 2025
For the renovation, the museum invited their descendants to consult on a reinstallation in line with their beliefs, and interviewed them for an in-gallery film about their forebears.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for forebear
Michael Grynbaum, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2025
His forebears became famous for their excellent paella, famously serving it to the King of Spain in 1976, and Vidal has helped the dish reach an even wider audience since then.
—Sofia Perez, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
The case was dismissed in 2021, with the presiding judge ruling that the images had not been the property of Lanier’s forebears and thus did not rightfully belong to her.
—News Desk, Artforum, 29 May 2025
For the renovation, the museum invited their descendants to consult on a reinstallation in line with their beliefs, and interviewed them for an in-gallery film about their forebears.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for forebear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forebear
Noun
-
No offense to landscapes and wildlife painting and portraits of ancestors–Burgess does all of that, too–but here was something different, provocative.—
Chadd Scott,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
-
Though the efforts of our ancestors were often met with devastating backlash, the truth remains: this is the blueprint.—
Essence,
Essence,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Afraid of Sarah’s father discovering the truth, Sitti and Janna push themselves to the limit, determined to uncover why Sarah vanished.—
Leo Barraclough,
Variety,
25 Aug. 2025
-
Sanders transferred to Colorado once his father took over as the head coach of the Buffaloes.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
25 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The fiddle resting on his shoulder belonged to his great, great grandfather and dates to around 1900.—
Frank Langfitt,
NPR,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Photos from Kaela Leone's TikTok video of her sister and grandfather meeting for her wedding.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forebear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forebear. Accessed 31 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share