as in preparatory
coming before the main part or item usually to introduce or prepare for what follows
we need to do some preliminary research in order to properly focus the experiment
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in prelude
a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event
a meeting to discuss seating arrangements that was merely a preliminary to the formal negotiating sessions
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Recent Examples of preliminary
John Melloy,lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 22 May 2025
In spite of that brevity, some preliminary research suggests DMT can have long-lasting psychological and even therapeutic effects.
—Andy Greenberg, Wired News, 22 May 2025
Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2025
Her six-game outburst in the state preliminaries screamed of consistency, with no score lower than 217 and none higher than 269.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preliminary
Adjective
The president then paused the stiffest tariffs for 90 days and hatched some preliminary agreements with the U.K. and China, causing stocks to recover.
—John Melloy,lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 22 May 2025
In spite of that brevity, some preliminary research suggests DMT can have long-lasting psychological and even therapeutic effects.
—Andy Greenberg, Wired News, 22 May 2025
Noun
While the diving kicked off Thursday, the swimming gets underway with preliminaries on Friday, with the finals for both swimming and diving slated for Saturday.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 6 Mar. 2025
Her six-game outburst in the state preliminaries screamed of consistency, with no score lower than 217 and none higher than 269.
—Jeff Vorva, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preliminary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preliminary
Adjective
-
Pade paints directly onto the canvas without a preparatory drawing, often smudging areas of the canvas with a cloth at the end of a day in her Paris studio.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
-
The Club World Cup then starts on June 14, while some teams are likely to organise preparatory exhibition games ahead of the competition.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
22 May 2025
Noun
-
Many legal experts consider this questioning of a private right of action as the prelude to the next potential showdown over the Voting Rights Act at the Supreme Court, where multiple rulings by the court's conservative majority have eroded the law's protections over the past decade.—
Hansi Lo Wang,
NPR,
14 May 2025
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And that was just the prelude to the evening’s main event: a runway show of the 163 jewels in Diorexquis, and 25 couture creations by Maria Grazia Chiuri, staged around an ornamental reflecting pool that, at 45 meters, stops just shy of Olympic dimensions.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
6 May 2025
Adjective
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The introductory outdoor clocks typically start around $20, with better and bigger models reaching up to around $60.—
BestReviews,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2025
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In the clip, Kardashian, Watts, and Nash-Betts can be seen holding an introductory meeting with an overwhelmed and apologetic client, played by Elizabeth Berkley.—
Emlyn Travis Published,
EW.com,
13 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preliminary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preliminary. Accessed 31 May. 2025.
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