as in prelude
a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event
the parade down Main Street served as the overture for a weekend of fun and festivities
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Recent Examples of overture
Iran, not surprisingly, rejected the overture publicly.
—
Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
Havana has extended similar invitations to the diaspora for years, but those overtures have yielded few real-world results.
—Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
No deals materialized despite the Sussexes’ overtures.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
By now, the standard sound of rage rap — redlining drums deployed with abandon, frenetic, almost spastic chord arrangements, and often shouted, mantra-like lyrics delivered in an impassioned scream — has become a predictable shorthand for overtures to a younger audience.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overture
Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
Havana has extended similar invitations to the diaspora for years, but those overtures have yielded few real-world results.
—Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
No deals materialized despite the Sussexes’ overtures.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
By now, the standard sound of rage rap — redlining drums deployed with abandon, frenetic, almost spastic chord arrangements, and often shouted, mantra-like lyrics delivered in an impassioned scream — has become a predictable shorthand for overtures to a younger audience.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overture
prelude
Noun
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Sonis hopes the record-breaking Saturday will be a prelude to bigger moments to come in the NWSL, which has seen rapid growth in popularity over the past decade.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
-
As a prelude to a lunar landing, the flight was an important step in testing the flight trajectory and operations before astronauts stepped foot on the moon's surface.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overture. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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