ahead of

1
as in before
earlier than always arrives at school ahead of the bus we were cautioned not to fill out any of the test answers ahead of time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

2
as in in advance of
preceding in space the three lost children emerged from the forest, with the family dog walking proudly ahead of them

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of ahead of Mike Sando of The Athletic has Burrow ahead of Allen but lists him as the hardest quarterback to defend. Drew Vonscio, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Aug. 2025 These actions have provided MAGA KY with ample opportunities to attack Massie ahead of his primary election, as Israel remains popular among Republicans. Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 12 Aug. 2025 Russian troops have advanced deeper into eastern Ukraine in a surprise attack ahead of upcoming ceasefire negotiations between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Solcyré Burga, Time, 12 Aug. 2025 Celebrating a Champions League title and a historic treble with Manchester City in June 2023 Michael Steele—Getty Images Advertisement So Haaland has a momentous 12 months ahead of him. Sean Gregory, Time, 31 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for ahead of
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ahead of
Preposition
  • Title Race Tightens Losing him now is a tough blow for the Astros, who seemed to be heading for their fifth straight American League West title before a recent tailspin – coupled with a Seattle surge – turned the divisional race into a toss-up.
    Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025
  • Tire tread depth - Checking your tire tread before hitting the road is important, as low or no tread can lead to sliding.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 16 Aug. 2025
Preposition
  • Cincinnati is the last big hardcourt tune-up prior to the US Open, the event where Williams won two of her seven Grand Slam titles in 2000 and 2001.
    Kaycee Sloan, The Enquirer, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Radford’s chain of command was unaware of the arrest prior to Wednesday’s shooting, Lubas said.
    Dakin Andone, CNN Money, 7 Aug. 2025
Preposition
  • With just one goal and one assist (both against Red Bull Salzburg, when he was named player of the match) in five games in the United States, Alonso planned to bench Vinicius Jr for the semi-final against PSG.
    Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 9 Aug. 2025
  • Ahead of the Dodgers' game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Vanessa and their daughters — Natalia, 22, Bianka, 8, Capri, 6 — were spotted commemorating the basketball star's legacy.
    Charna Flam, People.com, 9 Aug. 2025
Preposition
  • The major inciting incident saw Carano sharing a post from another account that seemingly compared the treatment of conservatives in the U.S. during the COVID pandemic to that of Jewish people during Nazi-era Germany.
    Carson Blackwelder, People.com, 8 Aug. 2025
  • The Marion County Coroner’s Office said Smith Jr.'s cause of death was a gunshot to the head, but investigators found limited evidence to work with as the case went cold.
    Jade Jackson, IndyStar, 30 July 2025
Preposition
  • Scott Cooper had offered me a movie previous to Deliver Me from Nowhere.
    Matt Grobar, Deadline, 31 July 2025
  • Researchers tested this process, known as photothermal catalysis, in the laboratory using a simulant based on samples of lunar regolith returned to Earth by China's Chang'e 5 mission (the lunar samples are far too previous to destroy in such experiments, which is why a simulant is used instead).
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 17 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ahead of.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ahead%20of. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.

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