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.
In the predawn hush of a military base, long before the bustle of morning drills, LeAnne Withrow would quietly slip into the women’s shower room. Solcyré Burga, Time, 9 May 2025 The new moon occurs April 27, and a day later Venus and Saturn will make a close approach to each other (known as a conjunction) in the predawn sky. Jesse Emspak, Space.com, 25 Apr. 2025 The predawn hours of April 28 will see a planetary triangle form in the night sky, as Venus makes a close approach to Saturn following a conjunction, while Neptune, invisible to the naked eye, will sit just a few degrees away towards the horizon. Anthony Wood, Space.com, 27 Apr. 2025 That’s where O’Keefe’s body was found in the snow blanketing the front of the house in the predawn hours of January 29, 2022. Jean Casarez, CNN Money, 25 Apr. 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Predawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predawn. Accessed 16 May. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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