ahead 1 of 2

1
2
as in onwards
toward a point ahead in space or time sent me ahead to get a place in the check-out line while she went to get the eggs and milk

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

3
as in forward
toward or at a point lying in advance in space or time the line moved ahead at a snail's pace

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

ahead

2 of 2

adjective

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ahead
Adverb
  • Some evolutionary algorithms keep only the best performers in the population, on the assumption that progress moves endlessly forward.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 26 June 2025
  • History has repeatedly shown that socialism doesn’t work, as ideas that seem good in theory often turn into a mess of government bureaucracy, inefficiency, and inertia, setting society and living standards back instead of moving them forward.
    Time, Time, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • The National Weather Service on Thursday advised of potential flooding and then sent out a series of flash flood warnings in the early hours of Friday before issuing flash flood emergencies — a rare alert notifying of imminent danger.
    Brit Morse, Fortune, 7 July 2025
  • Then, Messi made up for the early error with a spectacular go-ahead goal, weaving his way through four defenders and then curling a perfect low shot to the far low corner.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 6 July 2025
Adverb
  • Most analysts agree that Michael Misa, C, will be the No. 2 overall selection, but from pick No. 3 onward, mock drafts diverge sharply.
    Giovanni Malloy, Forbes.com, 27 June 2025
  • Given this recent double top breakout, combined with improving volume and relative strength characteristics, Royal Caribbean appears to be sailing onward and ever upward.
    David Keller, CNBC, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • Contrast this with Forrester’s Total Economic Impact study of a leading CDP public cloud deployment, which showed that organizations achieved a 99.5% reduction in costs to scale data analytics and a 97.6% faster time to value compared to prior inelastic setups.
    Rafael Flores, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
  • But Prevost, who was prior general, came several times.
    Belinda Luscombe, Time, 1 July 2025
Adverb
  • LeBron James already opted in to a $52.6 million deal with the Lakers for next season, the Rockets traded for Durant and the Los Angeles Clippers saw James Harden decline his option in return for a new deal and a raise.
    Tim Reynolds, Chicago Tribune, 1 July 2025
  • For other carriers, that means the platform is already built to handle the pressure and complexity of national freight operations, and can be tailored to suit smaller businesses with minimal learning curves.
    Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 30 June 2025
Adverb
  • Other contributors in fourth-line forwards Nick Cousins and Ryan Lomberg also left for other opportunities.
    Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 30 June 2025
  • She was ranked fourth in voting among forwards by fans, media and players.
    Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 30 June 2025
Adjective
  • The previous time City had played at Wembley was a decade earlier, for the memorable win over Gillingham.
    Michael Cox, New York Times, 29 June 2025
  • For example, in March 2024, the UN reported that in the previous year, 100 allegations were reported in peacekeeping and special political missions.
    Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
Adverb
  • But no, no, no, a gay cop can’t be both proud to be a cop and be gay and march along?
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 29 June 2025
  • As Mariska peddled along on her own tiny bike, her brothers Mickey Jr. and Zoltan shared one as their beloved mom followed behind them in 1967.
    Alexandra Schonfeld, People.com, 27 June 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Cite this Entry

“Ahead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ahead. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.

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