1
as in vanguard
the innovators of new concepts, styles, and techniques especially in the arts
an artist who was in the van of abstract expressionism
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in forefront
the leading or most important part of a movement
a company that is considered by some to be in the van of the latest technology for renewable energy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of van
Police were looking for a second white van that fled the scene.
—
John Annese, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2025
After the firefighters had moved on from neighborhoods reduced to rubble, officials from a different arm of local government arrived in white vans.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
After a few months, that arrangement collapsed — the woman accused Pope of slacking and damaging her property — and Pope went to stay with friends, back in Houston, sleeping in a van on their property.
—Ian Frisch, Curbed, 9 Jan. 2025
In the proceeding years, visitors who wanted to spend the night in the park could rent houseboats, erect tents, or park their camper vans or RVs, but the nearest hotel was located about an hour away in Florida City.
—Mariette Williams, Travel + Leisure, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for van 
John Annese, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2025
After the firefighters had moved on from neighborhoods reduced to rubble, officials from a different arm of local government arrived in white vans.
—Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
After a few months, that arrangement collapsed — the woman accused Pope of slacking and damaging her property — and Pope went to stay with friends, back in Houston, sleeping in a van on their property.
—Ian Frisch, Curbed, 9 Jan. 2025
In the proceeding years, visitors who wanted to spend the night in the park could rent houseboats, erect tents, or park their camper vans or RVs, but the nearest hotel was located about an hour away in Florida City.
—Mariette Williams, Travel + Leisure, 9 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for van
Recent Examples of Synonyms for van
Noun
-
Still, these vanguards in the wearable industry are pushing us toward an era when always-listening gadgets on our wrists and heads could grow to be more helpful.—
Julian Chokkattu,
WIRED,
8 Jan. 2025
-
Like many in the island’s culinary vanguard, brewmaster Jeremmie Vélez Rosario is dedicated to sustainability, using ingredients grown on-site for his new spot, El Co.lectivo, a no-waste cocktail bar and pizza joint.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
18 Dec. 2024
Noun
-
The protest focused on a range of issues that marchers believed were under threat with the new presidency, with women's reproductive rights at the forefront.—
David Faris,
Newsweek,
18 Jan. 2025
-
Iran and Russia have been subjected to numerous sanctions by the West, and trade and finance are at the forefront of the treaty signed Friday.—
Ivan Nechepurenko,
New York Times,
17 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
His breakthrough came via 1977’s Eraserhead, which became popular in the midnight movie underground circuit.—
Rania Aniftos,
Billboard,
16 Jan. 2025
-
And as surface temperatures rise, their cool underground burrows may become important refuges.—
Sammy Roth,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Jan. 2025
Noun
-
If the ambitions of eVTOL pioneers are realized in the U.S., people will be able to hop in an air taxi to get to and from airports serving New York and Los Angeles within the next few years.—
Michael Liedtke,
The Denver Post,
18 Jan. 2025
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This approach was later scaled and digitized with computers in the corporate world and likely served as a blueprint for pioneers like Henry Ford and Richard and Maurice McDonald to shape their businesses with growth, scale and productivity at the center.—
Muqsit Ashraf,
Forbes,
17 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Van.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/van. Accessed 28 Jan. 2025.
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