van

noun

Definition of vannext
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

Relevance

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

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 van The men – identified only as British nationals between the ages of 23 and 25 and from London area – were quickly released on bail with police confirming no explosives were found in three vans at the scene. — Kara Fox, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026 The men looked into the school grounds before returning to a white van, according to the source. — ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026 Last year’s summit was tied to Ford Pro, the automaker’s commercial business arm, which sells trucks, vans, software subscriptions, and a range of services to customers experiencing the skills shortage firsthand. — Diane Brady, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026 Staff at the group home got him into a van and drove him to the nearby hospital. — Joseph Shapiro, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for van
Recent Examples of Synonyms for van
  1. vanguard
  2. forefront
  3. underground
  4. pioneer
Noun
  • The masthead means to identify vanguard critics, poets, and authors for a lively new readership.
    — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Madonna, host Snoop Dogg and this year’s video vanguard recipient Nirvana also have strong appeal to an older demo.
    — Paul Grein, Billboard, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of vanguard
Noun
  • But this is an album that’s apparently about the artist’s double life, and the questions that are bound to be at the forefront of any curious listener’s mind go unaddressed.
    — Daniel Bromfield, Pitchfork, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Lewis Perkins is the President of Apparel Impact Institute (Aii), an organization at the forefront of decarbonizing the apparel and footwear supply chain.
    — Lewis Perkins, Footwear News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of forefront
Noun
  • Most Read Reviews Appropriately enough for two musicians working at the cutting edge of this underground, Bowery Electric’s Martha Schwendener and Lawrence Chandler met while working at pre-fab master Andy Warhol’s Interview magazine.
    — Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Quaise plans to direct that energy underground to heat rock intensely enough to remove it, replacing the mechanical cutting action of conventional drill bits.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of underground
Noun
  • In 1966, healthcare advocacy pioneer Ruth Ravich founded the Department of Patient Representation at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York – widely considered the beginning of the patient advocate role.
    — Jennifer Schlinger, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2026
  • For the milestone edition, streetwear pioneer Hiroshi Fujiwara and his Fragment Design label served as artistic directors alongside rapper Playboi Carti, shaping the festival’s products, programming and experiences.
    — Ryma Chikhoune, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of pioneer

Browse Nearby Words

vampy
van
vandal
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Van.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/van. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on van

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about van

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All