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

Shaheed entered the game with just four catches for 37 yards and only one first-down reception since arriving in Seattle ahead of the trade deadline. —Michael-Shawn Dugar, New York Times, 8 Dec. 2025

European diplomats, meanwhile, criticized Russia in a leading Indian newspaper ahead of President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India, prompting a rebuke from New Delhi. —semafor.com, 8 Dec. 2025

For now, Lürssen is keeping any other details close to its chest; perhaps more will be revealed when Boardwalk finishes its final outfitting ahead of its delivery in 2026. —Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 8 Dec. 2025

Additional information, including the code, will be emailed ahead of the sale. —Melonee Hurt, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Dec. 2025

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