1
as in main
coming before all others in importance
the primal theme of the essay is toleration of religious diversity
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ancient
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period
there was a period of primal idealism after the founding of the republic and before the rise of partisan politics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of primal
To accomplish that, the farmers had to persuade their clients to embrace a new aesthetic: less polished and more primal, twining and frondy, founded on blossoms that might be too lush and soft to endure weeks of refrigerated storage but could be guaranteed to look and smell like nothing else.
—
Maryn McKenna, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2025
But my wife, a native Californian, sensed something more innately — some primal signal in her neurons screaming: Danger.
—Josh Eells, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2025
There’s the raw, primal nature of man vs man — that part is most definitely accurate, and easy to play out as mythic.
—Bob Guccione Jr., SPIN, 11 Feb. 2025
The pair watched each other so as not to overstep on a beat and engaged in a stylistic showdown mid-song – Copeland’s jazzier style teamed with Fleetwood’s more primal thumping – as the quartet made joyful noise.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primal
Maryn McKenna, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2025
But my wife, a native Californian, sensed something more innately — some primal signal in her neurons screaming: Danger.
—Josh Eells, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2025
There’s the raw, primal nature of man vs man — that part is most definitely accurate, and easy to play out as mythic.
—Bob Guccione Jr., SPIN, 11 Feb. 2025
The pair watched each other so as not to overstep on a beat and engaged in a stylistic showdown mid-song – Copeland’s jazzier style teamed with Fleetwood’s more primal thumping – as the quartet made joyful noise.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA TODAY, 1 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for primal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for primal
Adjective
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What’s different this time is how Wilds‘ main antagonist, the White Wraith, behaves.—
Josh Broadwell,
Rolling Stone,
24 Feb. 2025
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While The Charlotte Observer cannot confirm or deny the hyperbole, two things can be proven in regards to the downtown main street: infrastructure construction is complete and many more people are calling Union Street home.—
Desiree Mathurin,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Researchers in London recently uncovered a 2,000-year-old structure that once served as the hub of the bustling ancient city.—
Greta Cross,
USA TODAY,
19 Feb. 2025
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Accessible only by a daring climb up sheer rock faces, this 6th-century masterpiece rewards the brave with breathtaking views and ancient frescoes untouched by time.—
Emese Maczko,
Forbes,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Houde said these mammoth animals are a primitive group of proboscideans ('elephantoids') from which modern elephants evolved.—
Joseph J. Kolb,
Fox News,
18 July 2017
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Many are primitive and remote, and don’t have restrooms or water.—
OregonLive.com,
OregonLive.com,
12 July 2017
Adjective
-
Reclaimed white pine flooring by the Hudson Company stands in handsome contrast to board-and-batten paneling in the primary bathroom, where the tub is by Randolph Morris.—
Elizabeth Fazzare,
Architectural Digest,
17 Feb. 2025
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The motion also would have quashed the grand jury selected to investigate the Jan. 16 Democratic primary runoff for the 21st District senatorial seat.—
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette,
arkansasonline.com,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
These places maintain the largest amount of intact primeval forest and the highest populations of bears, wolves and lynx in all of Europe.—
Jamie Lang,
Variety,
26 Jan. 2025
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Does Dellinger’s death suggest that Utah Territory, and by extension America itself, will always be driven by primeval conflict?—
Keith Phipps,
Vulture,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The researchers simulated early Earth and how its primordial environment affected the color of the planet’s oceans.—
David Bressan,
Forbes,
22 Feb. 2025
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Runaway camels and primordial volcano tremors make for clumsy attempts at literary symbolism, but such details — combined with a tourist culture that seems frozen in the ’80s, and a Dascha Dauenhauer score rooted in classic noir — contribute to the feeling of a place unstuck in time.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The predominant flavors are salt and starch, unattractive in print but deeply comforting on a steaming spoon.—
Bradley Hohulin,
The Indianapolis Star,
19 Feb. 2025
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Miso is a staple ingredient in Japanese cooking and is the predominant flavor in things like miso soup.—
Sarah Martens,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The Musée de Préhistoire de Terra Amata was built on a prehistoric site near the old port dating back 400,000 years.—
Alison Gregor,
New York Times,
21 Feb. 2025
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Its reimagining acquires a true crime edge: as individual dinosaur remains unearthed by dinosaur hunters, thanks to cutting-edge science, experts work out how these prehistoric creatures lived, hunted, fought and died more accurately than ever before.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Primal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/primal. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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