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
Dress warmly for predawn temperatures and test your optics before the most dramatic stages begin.
—Jamie Carter, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Willy Ngoma, a senior officer who was deeply involved in M23's operations in eastern Congo, was said to have been killed in a predawn drone strike near the North Kivu province’s mining town of Rubaya.
—ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
In the predawn hours Monday, the cab of the truck caught fire at Van Buren Street and California Avenue, just off the westbound Eisenhower (I-290).
—Kris Habermehl, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
Tips for Watching the Blood Moon The eclipse begins well before dawn on the East Coast and in the predawn hours across the country, so preparation matters.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for predawn
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.
Jamie Carter, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Willy Ngoma, a senior officer who was deeply involved in M23's operations in eastern Congo, was said to have been killed in a predawn drone strike near the North Kivu province’s mining town of Rubaya.
—ABC News, 24 Feb. 2026
In the predawn hours Monday, the cab of the truck caught fire at Van Buren Street and California Avenue, just off the westbound Eisenhower (I-290).
—Kris Habermehl, CBS News, 23 Feb. 2026
Tips for Watching the Blood Moon The eclipse begins well before dawn on the East Coast and in the predawn hours across the country, so preparation matters.
—Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for predawn
Cite this Entry
“Predawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predawn. Accessed 8 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
