as in earlier
so as to precede something in order of time
the sick children were examined preliminarily by the nurse to determine if they had a rash
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 preliminarily
Jones was preliminarily charged Monday with one count each of reckless driving and resisting law enforcement.
—
Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 20 Oct. 2025
The Enderlin tornado was preliminarily classified as an EF-3 storm, but was recently categorized even higher, as an EF-5.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
The vehicle’s driver stayed at the scene after the collision and was cooperating with authorities, who said preliminarily neither drugs nor alcohol factored in the crash.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Saturday and Sunday are preliminarily expected to hit more seasonable highs in the 70s.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology preliminarily concluded that the pool deck started to collapse more than seven minutes before the building fell to the ground, according to the presentation released ahead of the hearing Tuesday.
—Jared Kofsky, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2025
In the coming weeks, if the settlement is preliminarily approved, authors will be able to search this website to confirm if their works were part of the class action and are therefore eligible for a payout.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025
Two of the dead are preliminarily believed to be among those who opened fire in the crowded Taste of the City Lounge on Franklin Ave.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 17 Aug. 2025
So, the estimates for each month from April 2023 through March 2024 (the latest complete sequence) went through three estimates in the monthly cycle, and were then benchmark-revised twice more – preliminarily in August 2024, and finalized in February 2025.
—George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 20 Oct. 2025
The Enderlin tornado was preliminarily classified as an EF-3 storm, but was recently categorized even higher, as an EF-5.
—Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
The vehicle’s driver stayed at the scene after the collision and was cooperating with authorities, who said preliminarily neither drugs nor alcohol factored in the crash.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2025
Saturday and Sunday are preliminarily expected to hit more seasonable highs in the 70s.
—Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 28 Sep. 2025
Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology preliminarily concluded that the pool deck started to collapse more than seven minutes before the building fell to the ground, according to the presentation released ahead of the hearing Tuesday.
—Jared Kofsky, ABC News, 9 Sep. 2025
In the coming weeks, if the settlement is preliminarily approved, authors will be able to search this website to confirm if their works were part of the class action and are therefore eligible for a payout.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 5 Sep. 2025
Two of the dead are preliminarily believed to be among those who opened fire in the crowded Taste of the City Lounge on Franklin Ave.
—Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 17 Aug. 2025
So, the estimates for each month from April 2023 through March 2024 (the latest complete sequence) went through three estimates in the monthly cycle, and were then benchmark-revised twice more – preliminarily in August 2024, and finalized in February 2025.
—George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preliminarily
Adverb
-
Raimondo Orsi had already gone back to Argentina to look after his sick mother, and Luis Monti had retired.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
-
In a recent LinkedIn survey, nearly half of companies expected employees to start using AI, yet 41% of professionals already feel overwhelmed by how quickly they are expected to master it.—
Feon Ang,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Amid those results, former White House adviser Steve Bannon took to social media to warn of the danger ahead for the Republicans.—
Martha McHardy,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Call locations ahead to confirm availability, hours and location.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
5 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Kinghorn previously served as foreperson of the El Dorado County grand jury.—
Daniel Hunt,
Sacbee.com,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Managers also wear poppies on the touchline, including Thomas Tuchel, the German who is currently head coach of the England men’s national team having previously managed Chelsea in 2021 and 2022.—
Eduardo Tansley,
New York Times,
8 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
Anger and apology Bosch, who was crowned Miss Universe Mexico earlier this year, denounced Nawat for insulting her.—
Anabella González,
CNN Money,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Schlegel, a travel adviser from Arlington, Virginia, has told clients to not panic, to monitor their flights and to arrive at the airport early.—
JOSH FUNK,
Arkansas Online,
8 Nov. 2025
Adverb
-
The night before, Annabelle had made the traditional meal of baked rabbit, asparagus, and custard.—
George Packer,
The Atlantic,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career, the film gives audiences a front-row seat to Michael Jackson as never before.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preliminarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preliminarily. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share