1
as in ancient
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period
early birds of the Jurassic period
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unexpected
occurring before the usual or expected time
we had an early dinner so as not to miss the concert
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in immediately
before the usual or expected time
that year spring arrived early
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of early
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
Ukraine’s drone forces commander Robert Brovdi said Kyiv had attacked Sevastopol’s main power substation seven times in the early hours of Wednesday.
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Zahra Ullah,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2026
Communicate early, and friendships strengthen naturally.
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Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for early
Adjective
Kaan Ayhan’s stoppage-time goal ended the Americans’ unbeaten start after early goals from Auston Trusty and Sebastian Berhalter.
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Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
Ukraine’s drone forces commander Robert Brovdi said Kyiv had attacked Sevastopol’s main power substation seven times in the early hours of Wednesday.
—
Zahra Ullah,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
Adverb
Minasian clashed with respected manager Joe Maddon early in his tenure, eventually leading to Maddon’s firing amid an epic losing streak in the 2022 season.
—
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2026
Communicate early, and friendships strengthen naturally.
—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for early
Recent Examples of Synonyms for early
Adjective
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Learn about Sarasota’s ancient past at Phillippi Estate Park or look for the resident deer at Rothenbach Park.
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The pallium, a woolen collar embroidered with six crosses, is an ancient symbol of authority and obligation.
Adjective
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The exercise also included unexpected financial setbacks.
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The settlement that ended Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively's blockbuster legal war began with an unexpected Friday night phone call.
Adverb
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Rodríguez also said the country’s entire public and private healthcare network had been activated to treat the injured, urging doctors, nurses and other medical personnel to report immediately to their workplaces.
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Arraez fouled a ball off the top of his right foot in the bottom of the first inning on Tuesday, immediately dropping to the ground in pain but ultimately staying in the game.
Adjective
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These few extra channels—combined with some sounds ripped from an expansion for the MSX, another 8-bit console—were enough to transcend the Game Boy’s original limitations while still evoking the handheld system’s primitive beauty.
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Likewise, primitive asteroidal bodies are somewhat like fossilized remnants of the building blocks of the solar system's planets, including Earth.
Adjective
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Hopkins pounced when Larson welcomed questions, suggesting the press conference was premature, given that the congressman had no precise information about why Cecunjanin had been detained.
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And many aspects of her identity have come into fashion recently, decades after her premature death in 1954.
Adverb
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That said, withdrawing money prematurely from a CD will lead to the issuance of an early withdrawal penalty.
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Modular designs and repairable form factors extend useful life and reduce the volume of devices retired prematurely due to single-component failure.
Adjective
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The museum uses Akrotiri as a point of reference for the life and culture of prehistoric Thira.
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The fraught subject of the proper disposition of those human remains has taken on a new sensitivity — both for the prehistoric people’s Native American successors in Florida, and for the archaeologists and developers encountering them.
Adjective
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From a fatal weekend crash on the I-184 Connector to a sudden summer cooldown, here’s a roundup of top stories the Idaho Statesman has published this week.
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The blockbuster rulings that dominate the news cycle each June are not sudden flashes of judicial willpower.
Cite this Entry
“Early.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/early. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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