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
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
The Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s Office preliminarily determined his death to be a suicide.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 6 Aug. 2025
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
The Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s Office preliminarily determined his death to be a suicide.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 6 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preliminarily
Adverb
-
At Marysol’s party, Adriana is already telling Guerdy that Julia is not a good friend because of what happened between them at her art party in the last episode.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
26 Sep. 2025
-
Venture Global is already near the capacity to export 40 MTPA (million tonnes per annum) of LNG between its Calcasieu Pass and Plaquemines facilities.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
25 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Keeping his foot on the gas also means pushing ahead with reforms.—
Monroe Trombly,
Louisville Courier Journal,
2 Oct. 2025
-
Celebrities have been breaking out their leather pants as of late, providing fresh outfit inspiration for the next few weeks of transitional dressing ahead.—
Kristina Rutkowski,
Vogue,
1 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Knight previously ran Maverick TV, the All3Media production company behind series including Netflix’s Barbeque Showdown and USA Network reality series Chrisley Knows Best.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
26 Sep. 2025
-
The county performs about 14,000 inspections annually, with 97% of establishments passing, spokesman Ken Casparis previously told The Sacramento Bee.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The Lynx, who blew a 20-point third-quarter lead in Tuesday’s 89-83 overtime Game 2 loss, had a defensive meltdown early in the fourth as the Mercury scored the first seven points, including four at the rim, for a 70-67 lead.—
Mike Cook,
Twin Cities,
27 Sep. 2025
-
Interim manager Ray Montgomery said he’s been impressed with how Adell bounced back from the struggles early in his career.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
27 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Disney has dealt with public scrutiny before, including animators going on strike in 1941 , the Southern Baptist boycott in the late 1990s or allowing Ellen DeGeneres to come out on her ABC show.—
Natasha Chen,
CNN Money,
25 Sep. 2025
-
Unlike Boggs and Wade, whose subjects had commanded biographical and scholarly attention for decades, Richardson was breaking trail from the beginning, writing a life that had never been written before.—
Megan Marshall
September 25,
Literary Hub,
25 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preliminarily.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preliminarily. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share