as in prelude
a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event
the parade down Main Street served as the overture for a weekend of fun and festivities
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Recent Examples of overture
Whether that holds true will depend on her political overtures.
—
Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
Just this month, Chinese leader Xi Jinping again rejected an overture from his French counterpart.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 26 Dec. 2025
Plenty of conferences made overtures, but rather than itching to keep up with the Joneses, Bourne studied his peers.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
Instead, New Delhi has made significant overtures to Europe, including accelerating efforts to conclude trade agreements with the United Kingdom and the European Union.
—Tanvi Madan, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overture
Stephania Taladrid, New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2026
Just this month, Chinese leader Xi Jinping again rejected an overture from his French counterpart.
—Ben Smith, semafor.com, 26 Dec. 2025
Plenty of conferences made overtures, but rather than itching to keep up with the Joneses, Bourne studied his peers.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
Instead, New Delhi has made significant overtures to Europe, including accelerating efforts to conclude trade agreements with the United Kingdom and the European Union.
—Tanvi Madan, Foreign Affairs, 16 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overture
prelude
Noun
-
And so, as a prelude to solving the Navier-Stokes problem, mathematicians have searched for blowups (also called singularities) in an assortment of simplified fluid equations, such as those that operate in only one dimension.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
9 Jan. 2026
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Previous rounds of popular unrest have also seen the government shut down communications, usually as a prelude to an all-out crackdown.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overture. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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