Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

granddaddy of them all

Idioms  

  1. The first, oldest, or most respected of its kind, as in That computer is the grandaddy of them all. [Colloquial; c. 1900]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

To crib from Rose Bowl broadcaster Keith Jackson, this one is the granddaddy of them all.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2023

She normally attends two a year, including the granddaddy of them all, Glastonbury.

From BBC • Jul. 28, 2021

Microsoft, the granddaddy of them all, is nine years away from turning 50.

From Washington Times • Dec. 19, 2016

"Who better to turn to than Exxon, the granddaddy of them all?"

From Reuters • Dec. 11, 2016

And then comes the granddaddy of them all.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 11, 2013

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.