SINCE 1828
pregame
adjective
pre·game
| \ ˈprē-ˌgām
\
\
Definition of pregame
(Entry 1 of 2)
: existing or occurring before a game
a pregame party the athlete's usual pregame meal/warm-up The Bulls had finished their pregame shooting and were returning for the regular pregame meeting to go over the scouting report …— Sam Smith
pregame
verb
pre·game
| \ ˌprē-ˈgām
\
\
pregamed;
pregaming
Definition of pregame (Entry 2 of 2)
US, informal
: to begin drinking alcohol before an event or activity (such as a party or a night out)
Her friends, all in their 20s and pregaming for a Saturday night out in the bars, nodded enthusiastically.— Dan Kois On the same principle, pregaming with a few shots before you arrive is a risky maneuver. You should be relatively sober when you present your host gift and size up the situation.— Pete Wells
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Examples of pregame in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Haas took the court before last Sunday's game against Butler for the team's pregame warm-up and wore an elbow brace but it was not approved by the NCAA. — Chris Chavez, SI.com, "Purdue's Isaac Haas Wants to Play Through Elbow Injury, Coach Matt Painter Pessimistic," 22 Mar. 2018 Flint and Beaton also reported that a curious amount of ratings growth is coming from audience members over 50 years of age—that is, the segment of the audience said to be most alienated by the league and its pregame anthem controversy. — Jason Gay, WSJ, "The NFL Is Back. Nobody Tell Trump.," 15 Oct. 2018 The Royals' pregame lineup for Friday night's game in Houston shows Alcides Escboar in center field. — Pete Grathoff, kansascity, "Alcides Escobar to start Friday in center field for Royals, and fan reaction is mixed," 22 June 2018 Several players knelt during pregame anthem performances last year to protest police violence and discrimination against minorities. — Michael C. Bender, WSJ, "Trump Says Philadelphia Eagles Won’t Visit White House," 5 June 2018 This isn't the first time the former Indiana governor has made clear his distaste for NFL players protesting by kneeling during pregame national anthem performances. — Tony Cook, Indianapolis Star, "Mike Pence reacts to new NFL policy on national anthem with one word," 23 May 2018 Add that moment to the growing amount of Icelandic football lore, from the Viking Clap and the federation’s smart investment on the game’s grassroots, to Hallgrímsson’s dental practice and his pregame tactics sessions with supporters. — Brian Straus, SI.com, "Iceland Excels Playing Its Way to Secure Another Famous Point Worth Celebrating," 16 June 2018 More than a dozen Patriots players knelt during the pregame anthem prior to the game immediately following Trump’s comments, while the rest of the team locked arms in a show of unity. — BostonGlobe.com, "In interview with Oprah, Tom Brady praises impact of players kneeling during the anthem," 15 June 2018 During his campaign for the presidency, Trump singled out Colin Kaepernick for criticism, after the then-49ers quarterback began sitting and kneeling during pregame renditions of the anthem. — Des Bieler, chicagotribune.com, "Trump praises NASCAR for its lack of protests during national anthem," 22 May 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Whiteside suffered a strained hip flexor during the team’s pregame shootaround on Saturday morning that forced him to miss his 20th game of the season. — Andre C. Fernandez, miamiherald, "Heat likely to be without Dwyane Wade and Hassan Whiteside to start west coast trip | Miami Herald," 10 Mar. 2018 Being a hitting coach in addition to playing has changed the veteran’s pregame routine a bit. — Christopher Hanna, courant.com, "Lew Ford Returns To New Britain A Different Man Than He Was Years Ago," 6 July 2018 While hosting the Players Only pregame show on TNT with Isiah Thomas and Baron Davis, Shaquille O’Neal decided to get a facial … on the desk. Note how Shaq nearly takes up the entire desk. — Alysha Tsuji, For The Win, "Shaq got a facial while lying down on the TNT desk during pregame show," 20 Mar. 2018 The bad news was offset by manager Torey Lovullo’s pregame announcement that Ray would forgo his final rehab start for Triple-A Reno and start Wednesday against the Marlins. — Harvey Fialkov, azcentral, "Diamondbacks accelerate plan for Robbie Ray, set to start on Wednesday," 25 June 2018 So the Galaxy will use a similar approach Saturday, having a player address the crowd pregame while urging security personnel to eject anyone caught using the slur. — Kevin Baxter, latimes.com, "Galaxy aims to reverse two trends in the last MLS game before its World Cup break," 8 June 2018 While hosting the Players Only pregame show on TNT with Isiah Thomas and Baron Davis, Shaquille O'Neal decided to get a facial … on the desk. Note how Shaq nearly takes up the entire desk. — Alysha Tsuji, USA TODAY, "Shaq got a facial while lying down on the TNT desk," 20 Mar. 2018 Prior to Monday, Earnhardt made his first appearance this year on NBC during the Super Bowl pregame show and followed it up by reporting from the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. — Michelle R. Martinelli, For The Win, "Dale Earnhardt Jr. wore a fantastic plaid suit for his NASCAR analyst debut," 13 Mar. 2018 But in Wednesday’s pregame press conference, the 6-foot-7 center said it’s critical the Norse find success in the paint early and often. — Charlie Hatch, Cincinnati.com, "Preview: Northern Kentucky facing matchup at Wright State on Friday night," 15 Feb. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pregame.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
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Welcome to the New Words
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The first known use of pregame was in 1906
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More Definitions for pregame
pregame
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of pregame
US
: happening before the beginning of a sports game
See the full definition for pregame in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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