1
as in prologue
a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event
an eruption of sectarian violence that proved to be the prelude to all-out civil war
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2
as in introduction
a short section (as of a book) that leads to or explains the main part
the musical had a brief prelude to get the audience in the proper mood
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prelude
Trump's re-labeling was a prelude to a weeks-long air campaign against the Houthis, with U.S. strikes hitting the militia's military infrastructure nearly every day since mid-March.
—
Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
That was mere prelude to his most consequential investigation – identifying the Russian officials behind the near-fatal poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in 2020.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 6 Apr. 2025
Is this the peak of the cloud security hype cycle, or a prelude to a market reckoning?
—Emil Sayegh, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
Image Lacking indoor plumbing, the family basked in this sauna as a prelude to bathing in the cold lake.
—Julie Lasky, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prelude
Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025
That was mere prelude to his most consequential investigation – identifying the Russian officials behind the near-fatal poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in 2020.
—Matthew Carey, Deadline, 6 Apr. 2025
Is this the peak of the cloud security hype cycle, or a prelude to a market reckoning?
—Emil Sayegh, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025
Image Lacking indoor plumbing, the family basked in this sauna as a prelude to bathing in the cold lake.
—Julie Lasky, New York Times, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prelude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prelude
Noun
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If the past is a prologue to the future, if continued, this may not end well for America.—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
26 Apr. 2025
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But that’s not the case, and as the opening prologue showcases, the Irish have their own form of griots, the filidh, poets, and oral history keepers who were successors to the druids.—
Richard Newby,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The introduction of House bills that suggest shades of Turkmenistan: proposing to make Trump’s birthday a federal holiday, or to carve his face on Mount Rushmore, or to put his image on a new two-hundred-and-fifty-dollar bill.—
Jia Tolentino,
New Yorker,
3 May 2025
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Loyd makes her Aces introduction after a star turn in Seattle.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
3 May 2025
Noun
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Early preliminaries will air on ESPN+, Disney+, and UFC Fight Pass starting at 6 p.m. ET.—
Jim Varsallone,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2025
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Late preliminaries available on ESPN+, ESPN, Disney+, and ESPN Deportes at 8 p.m. ET.—
Jim Varsallone,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
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On Tuesday, April 22, the Vatican shared a preface that Francis wrote for a book in Italian by Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop emeritus of Milan.—
Adam Carlson,
People.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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The Vatican Publishing House also Tuesday released a preface written by Francis in February of a book in Italian by Cardinal Angelo Scola, archbishop emeritus of Milan, entitled 'Awaiting a New Beginning.—
Lauren Frayer,
NPR,
22 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Wary of a new regime led by former jihadists, a small minority of Druze have welcomed Israel’s overtures, but many others have publicly denounced them.—
Eyad Kourdi,
CNN Money,
30 Apr. 2025
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Not exactly the romantic overture Arnault was hoping for.—
Lilian Raji,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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In his gorgeous first book penned by his partner Tim Johnson with a glowing foreword by Martha Stewart, readers get to revel in the thoughtful beauty of Fernando’s gardens.—
Blue Carreon,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
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Looking back at his book, Feeling Seen, with a foreword written by former British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enningful, was another intentional reflection of his work.—
Kerane Marcellus,
Essence,
9 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prelude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prelude. Accessed 14 May. 2025.
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