ahead of

preposition

1

: in front or advance of

They were ahead of us in line.

2

: in excess of

Synonyms of ahead of

• before
• prior to
• in advance of
• to

Examples of ahead of in a Sentence

She got ahead of me.

They went on ahead of us and by now are several miles ahead of us.

We have some hard work ahead of us.

The polls show that he is ahead of the other candidates.

The company is working hard to stay one step ahead of the competition.

They were trailing us by 5 points earlier in the game, but now they're ahead of us by 7.

Recent Examples on the Web

People shot others ahead of them in line. —Louis Menand, New Yorker, 13 Apr. 2026

While the situation may feel serious, Lipsher stressed that preparation is about staying ahead of the problem, not panicking. —Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 13 Apr. 2026

Not only were the tiara’s diamonds hewn into the 11 stones on Elizabeth II’s engagement ring, but they were also used to create the stunning wedding bracelet Philip gave his bride-to-be ahead of their ceremony. —Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 12 Apr. 2026

According to Ahlquist, the developers’ next step is to meet with the city ahead of filing an application. —Rose Evans, Idaho Statesman, 12 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ahead of

• above
• foxglove
• hereof
• thereof
• whereof
• dove
• glove
• love
• shove
• hereinabove

Kids Definition

ahead of

preposition

: in or at a place or time before

got ahead of me

we're ahead of schedule