1
as in ancient
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period
early birds of the Jurassic period
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unexpected
occurring before the usual or expected time
we had an early dinner so as not to miss the concert
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in immediately
before the usual or expected time
that year spring arrived early
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of early
Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026
Late April through early June is historically the worst time of year for wildfires in Michigan, state officials said.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 4 June 2026
Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 30 May 2026
Friday’s delivery to the Kansas Republican’s office in Overland Park appeared to be a calm occasion, but earlier in the week, Wednesday’s delivery in Wichita set off a police response that included a bomb squad.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for early
Adjective
After spending 11 months gathering evidence, interviewing two dozen tearful girls and their parents, then being stonewalled by state prosecutors and attacked in the media, they were then ostracized by federal prosecutors, who took over the case in early 2007.
—Julie K. Brown, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026
Late April through early June is historically the worst time of year for wildfires in Michigan, state officials said.
—Paula Wethington, CBS News, 4 June 2026
Adverb
Days earlier, Hulst was unable to close his mouth after yawning while walking out of a movie theater with his mother.
—Scott M. Reid, Oc Register, 30 May 2026
Friday’s delivery to the Kansas Republican’s office in Overland Park appeared to be a calm occasion, but earlier in the week, Wednesday’s delivery in Wichita set off a police response that included a bomb squad.
—Nathan Pilling, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for early
Recent Examples of Synonyms for early
Adjective
-
Its sheer red sandstone cliffs, carved over millions of years, cradle ancient cliff dwellings and rock art that tell stories of the ancestral Puebloans.—
Alia Beard Rau,
USA Today,
10 June 2026
-
In his younger years, Jacobs would have hunted in ancient forests, now known only to our imaginations—old-growth stands of hemlock, pine, oak, and chestnut, with trees standing more than a hundred feet tall and nearly four hundred years old.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
Adjective
-
Blending the tones of romantic comedy with a story of personal emancipation, the series follows a journey of self-discovery, ambition, and unexpected love.—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
8 June 2026
-
However, the project faces an unexpected obstacle.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
8 June 2026
Adverb
-
Coach Rachel Monroe called a timeout to try to set up one last offensive opportunity, but Hagan immediately forced a turnover off the restart whistle, and the Timberwolves held possession for the final moments before the team sprinted towards goalie Lila Zahurak to celebrate.—
Matt Goisman,
Boston Herald,
11 June 2026
-
Representatives for Tarek and Heather didn't immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
11 June 2026
Adjective
-
Through the use of backlighting, their silhouettes will be thrown onto the facing walls to form a shadow sculpture evoking primitive graffiti or a hieroglyphic-like language.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
9 June 2026
-
However, several primitive campsites, boat ramps, and fishing piers sprinkled across the area give plenty of access to enjoy the lake at your leisure.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
3 June 2026
Adjective
-
Reports of it proved premature.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
10 June 2026
-
Research has found that doing pelvic floor exercises can help with erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, and urinary incontinence, especially after prostate surgery.—
Stacey Colino,
Time,
9 June 2026
Adverb
-
Instead, remember that banks will issue early withdrawal penalties against savers who take their money out of the account prematurely.—
Matt Richardson,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
-
When a handful of renderings leaked prematurely, the initial reactions focused on ostensibly vulgar details, especially bronze accents that looked implausibly golden in the renderings and a presidential seal etched on one wall.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
That sets these findings apart from other instances where skeletal remains of prehistoric societies were found to be physically manipulated in similar ways.—
Emily Mae Czachor,
CBS News,
9 June 2026
-
The Fyne Audio Cubitt 5 is the name given to a pair of state-of-the-art Bluetooth bookshelf speakers that make your humble superstore own brand setup seem like a prehistoric ear trumpet.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
8 June 2026
Adjective
-
Brexton Busch, the 11-year-old son of NASCAR superstar Kyle Busch, did something for the first time since the sudden and tragic passing of his father.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
11 June 2026
-
His wife looks at me with sudden seriousness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Early.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/early. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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