predawn

adjective

pre·​dawn ˌprē-ˈdȯn How to pronounce predawn (audio)
-ˈdän
variants or less commonly pre-dawn
: existing or occurring before dawn
a predawn attack
the predawn hours
… the gigantic telescope started scanning the predawn sky.Howard Blum
predawn noun
or less commonly pre-dawn
plural predawns also pre-dawns
The most bone-chilling predawns create the sharpest sunrises. Christine Schultz
… stepping out into the quiet pre-dawn, closing the door. Bryan Burrough

Examples of predawn in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The best time to watch the Perseids in the Northern Hemisphere is in the predawn hours, though meteors may be visible as early as 10 p.m., the space agency says. Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 21 July 2025 Historic flooding overwhelmed the banks of the Guadalupe River in the predawn hours of July 4. Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, USA Today, 20 July 2025 In a predawn vote on July 17, 2025, the Senate approved by a narrow margin the rescissions package submitted by the White House, clawing back Fiscal Year 2025 funding for critical humanitarian programs, including $142 million in core resources for UNICEF. Sarah Ferguson, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025 The older girls were in cabins higher up the hill from the Guadalupe River, which rose to nearly 27 feet in the predawn hours of July Fourth, washing away homes, cars, cabins and campers. Joan Chrissos july 17, Miami Herald, 17 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for predawn

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of predawn was in 1883

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Cite this Entry

“Predawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predawn. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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