: 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
Sam Smith
pregamed; pregaming
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
Dan KoisOn 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
Pete Wells
pregaming
noun
Pregaming … is the practice of consuming alcohol before going to a social event.
—Georgina Lawton
Georgina Lawton
… students reported higher rates of pregaming and alcohol-related blackouts than national averages.
—Tess Sohngen
Tess Sohngen
Examples of pregame in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 20 June 2026
During pregame ceremonies for this World Cup game between Netherlands and Japan, the touchdown suites were pretty much empty.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
That last statement is noteworthy because Benson estimates there were as many as a dozen occasions during the season when pregame discussions focused on whether Pagliocca would be able to play.
—Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pregame
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Adjective
The stadium held a pregame moment of silence for Donny Strathie, a 76-year-old Scotland fan who died at his Boston hotel on Sunday.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 20 June 2026
During pregame ceremonies for this World Cup game between Netherlands and Japan, the touchdown suites were pretty much empty.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Verb
The New Jersey preteen was struck in the neck by a baseball during pregame warm-ups with Maple Shade Youth Baseball on May 26.
—Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026
That last statement is noteworthy because Benson estimates there were as many as a dozen occasions during the season when pregame discussions focused on whether Pagliocca would be able to play.
—Steve Reaven, Chicago Tribune, 11 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for pregame
Cite this Entry
“Pregame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pregame. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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