ahead of

preposition

Definition of ahead ofnext
1
as in before
earlier than always arrives at school ahead of the bus we were cautioned not to fill out any of the test answers ahead of time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in in advance of
preceding in space the three lost children emerged from the forest, with the family dog walking proudly ahead of them

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 ahead of If your aim is fluency, the data patterning approach comes out ahead of the game. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025 Deadline sat down with Yoshimura ahead of his trip to Los Angeles to meet with major Hollywood studios and streamers. —Liz Shackleton, Deadline, 2 Apr. 2025 Continue reading … 'EXTREMELY DIFFICULT' – Trump unloads on Republican senators ahead of tariff vote. —FOXNews.com, 2 Apr. 2025 Chipotle brings back popular Burrito Vault game ahead of National Burrito Day Chipotle is bringing back its popular digital game, Burrito Vault, to give away more than 150,000 BOGO entrée codes ahead of National Burrito Day. —Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 2 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ahead of
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ahead of
  1. before
  2. prior to
  3. against
  4. to
  5. previous to
Preposition
  • Freire defended his featherweight crown three times as a two-division champ before losing a July 2021 submission to A.J. McKee.
    — Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
  • That film, which opened in 2023, scored $173 million overseas and $377 million globally over Easter weekend before ending its theatrical run with a mighty $1.3 billion.
    — Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 6 Apr. 2025
Definition of before
Preposition
  • Dansby Swanson, whom Hoyer signed to a seven-year, $177 million deal — one of the largest contracts in franchise history — prior to the 2023 season, has grown close to Hoyer in his two-plus years with the team.
    — Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
  • House Speaker Matthew Ritter, D-Hartford, said the Republican leadership had not spoken to him prior to Thursday about creating an inspector general’s office to investigate issues in state government.
    — Andrew Brown, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2025
Definition of prior to
Preposition
  • Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 2%, Shanghai's Composite Index rose 0.6% and Shenzen's Component Index rose 1.2%, with investors buoyed by Beijing's announcement of stimulus measures to bolster the economy against the escalating American tariffs.
    — David Brennan, ABC News, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Rubio cited no specific evidence against Khalil, a 30-year-old legal permanent resident whose American citizen wife is in the late stages of pregnancy.
    — Camilo Montoya-Galvez, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025
Definition of against
Preposition
  • President Trump sent a letter to Khamenei last month urging negotiations, warning of possible military action if Iran refuses.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025
  • Netflix is adding another adaptation of classic literature to its series roster.
    — Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 10 Apr. 2025
Definition of to
Preposition
  • Miss Letty Tifft has gone to Minneapolis to select stock and work in a wholesale millinery store for a few weeks previous to the opening of the spring season.
    — Kay Johnson, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
  • With nine more seasons under his belt as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers previous to that, he's recorded a 102-103-2 overall record.
    — George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
Definition of previous to

Browse Nearby Words

ahead
ahead of
aid
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ahead of.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ahead%20of. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Words You Always Have to Look Up

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See More

Popular

See More

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

8 Words with Fascinating Histories
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 Word Game 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?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a game of hangman on lined paper
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All