ahead of

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 China’s Han is already in the U.S., and has been busy meeting business leaders ahead of the inauguration. Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 20 Jan. 2025 China's Vice President Han Zheng and Elon Musk met on Sunday ahead of President-elect Trump's inauguration, per Chinese state media. Rebecca Falconer, Axios, 20 Jan. 2025 Lee’s role as the female lead’s bodyguard catapulted him to national heartthrob status; his popularity was so great that fans would regularly leave messages all over the exterior of his apartment, and traffic would be stalled across four lanes ahead of one of his fan meetings. Regina Kim, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025 Singapore broke ahead of the other five countries — Japan, Germany, Italy, Spain and France — with its citizens granted visa-free access to 195 out of 227 global destinations, according to the ranking published Wednesday. Monica Pitrelli, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for ahead of 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ahead of
Preposition
  • Last summer, Wilson performed on the Fourth of July before the Royals-Rays game at Kauffman Stadium.
    Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 24 Jan. 2025
  • The lightning-rod defenseman has had plenty of friction in his previous NHL stops and was unable to find a home before this season, ultimately choosing to sign a deal with SKA of St. Petersburg in the KHL.
    Arthur Staple, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
Preposition
  • Just days prior to Hawkins’s arrest, a woman was fatally set on fire while sleeping on a subway train at the Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue station.
    Ray Lewis, Baltimore Sun, 15 Jan. 2025
  • Both Gulf News and Slovenske Notice reported that the suspect had a history of mental health issues prior to his arrest.
    Liam Quinn, People.com, 14 Jan. 2025
Preposition
  • The war, which started with the Hamas terror attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, has been the bloodiest period in the Israel-Palestinian conflict since 1948.
    Barak Ravid, Axios, 19 Jan. 2025
  • That same assignment — just find some space — made magic on the same field against the same team five years ago.
    Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 19 Jan. 2025
Preposition
  • To have this deep commitment to justice, equity and fair treatment of all.
    J.M. Banks, Kansas City Star, 18 Jan. 2025
  • Candidates for Cabinet and upper-level posts were brought in to pitch to Trump at Mar-a-Lago.
    Jennifer Jacobs, CBS News, 18 Jan. 2025
Preposition
  • 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
  • In the 18 years previous to that, Nagy was an NFL scout.
    Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near ahead of

Cite this Entry

“Ahead of.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ahead%20of. Accessed 31 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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