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
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
Christine Schultz
… stepping out into the quiet pre-dawn, closing the door.
—Bryan Burrough
Bryan Burrough
Examples of predawn in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The curtain fell, as always, with a predawn knock, handcuffs, and a federal indictment.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
The optimal period for meteor shower viewing is typically in the predawn hours, when the moon is positioned low in the sky, minimizing its light.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025
In the predawn hours of June 27, officers from El Portal Police Department and paramedics from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue rushed to a 911 call reporting a child was found unresponsive in a swimming pool at a home at 156 NW 90th St. in El Portal.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 24 July 2025
Iranian state television reported that the military denied firing missiles after the start of the ceasefire — while condemning Israel for predawn strikes of its own.
—Sam Mednick, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for predawn
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Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
The optimal period for meteor shower viewing is typically in the predawn hours, when the moon is positioned low in the sky, minimizing its light.
—Maria Morava, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025
In the predawn hours of June 27, officers from El Portal Police Department and paramedics from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue rushed to a 911 call reporting a child was found unresponsive in a swimming pool at a home at 156 NW 90th St. in El Portal.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 24 July 2025
Iranian state television reported that the military denied firing missiles after the start of the ceasefire — while condemning Israel for predawn strikes of its own.
—Sam Mednick, Chicago Tribune, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for predawn
Cite this Entry
“Predawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predawn. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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