before 1 of 2

1
as in to
earlier than since I'm a faster runner, I got there before him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in against
preceding in space the children always insisted on running before their parents

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

before

2 of 2

adverb

Examples 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 before
Preposition
But in the months before Biden’s summit, the SolarWinds hack put that relationship to the test. Renee Dudley, ProPublica, 15 Nov. 2024 Washington could’ve been sharper on that possession — Jayden Daniels missed an open receiver on a crosser one play before the Ekeler drop. Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2024 After 12 years, candidates would need to take a break of four years or more before running again for city office. Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024 During her election night speech, Blunt Rochester tipped her hat to the Black women who came before her in the Senate. Donna M. Owens, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for before 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for before
Preposition
  • Welcome to the Bay Area News Group (Mercury News & East Bay Times) girls Athlete of the Week poll.
    Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024
  • Merino, a small rural community 114 miles northeast of Denver near the banks of the South Platte River, will send its usual contingent of super fans to the Coliseum where champions will be crowned Saturday night in all five classes.
    Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post, 13 Nov. 2024
Preposition
  • The site was for sale after Jones lost a $1.4 billion defamation suit against the families of children killed in the Sandy Hook massacre — which Jones continually spread lies about — forcing him into bankruptcy.
    Justin Curto, Vulture, 14 Nov. 2024
  • Carla Granados, Branham flag football: The senior finished her season with two huge performances against San Jose rivals.
    Joseph Dycus, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024
Adverb
  • And all across the country, and across different sports, WAGs are breaking through in big ways, building personal brands and getting famous, with Swift supercharging an already growing trend.
    Meg Walters, Glamour, 20 Nov. 2024
  • Which is all fine and well, but anybody with even a peripheral awareness of any of the source material may have already noticed a flaw.
    Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Nov. 2024
Preposition
  • Investigators have yet to announce any arrests in the shooting, which happened shortly before 2 a.m. in a parking lot on the 1800 block of Whipple Road, according to the Union City Police Department.
    Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 17 Nov. 2024
  • Mabini’s kick return score came on the opening play of the second half, which was part of a run of three straight Rebels (10-1) TDs that gave them a 28-7 lead early in the fourth.
    Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 17 Nov. 2024
Adverb
  • Funding for this effort is part of the $500,000 allocated for the gun violence reduction initiative, which was approved early last month.
    Hema Sivanandam, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024
  • With Davis absent for the final 17-plus minutes, LeBron James dialed up his intensity in the latter stages of the third quarter and early in the fourth, helping the Lakers turn a five-point deficit late in the third (77-72) into a double-digit (103-89) early in the fourth.
    Khobi Price, Orange County Register, 10 Nov. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near before

Cite this Entry

“Before.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/before. Accessed 25 Nov. 2024.

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