PREDATE Synonyms: 8 Similar and Opposite Words

predate

verb

(ˌ)prē-ˈdāt

Definition of predate

as in to precede

to go or come before in time gunpowder predated the invention of the gun by several centuries

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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 predate In the fall, the court, which has expanded gun rights, is expected to hear appeals challenging a ban in the Chicago area, which predates the statewide law. — ABC News, 9 July 2026 Pavarini said his concerns with the homeowners association predate Hurricane Helene by years. — Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 9 July 2026 The Bezos-Musk space race predates either billionaire’s rocket company becoming a reliable orbital operator. — Mia Osmonbekov, Fortune, 8 July 2026 There is a Liberty Bell, a gift from King Louis XV of France, that predates the larger and more famous one in Philadelphia, and there’s an American story that predates America’s founding 250 years ago. — Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for predate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for predate

precede

Verb

When this place is eventually gone — a phrase that feels truly bizarre given the environment this summer and the half-century preceding it — the lasting images will be the seas of red.

— Sam McDowell Updated July 3, Kansas City Star, 4 July 2026
Houston spent some of this offseason — and much of the two that preceded it — trying to trade Meyers, a homegrown outfielder who blossomed into an elite defensive center fielder with constant struggles to harness any offensive consistency.

— Chandler Rome, New York Times, 4 July 2026

Definition of precede

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predaceous

predate

predated

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“Predate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predate. Accessed 15 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of predate

verb

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