as in ahead
so as to precede something in order of time
he had arrived earlier to take care of some preliminary matters
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for earlier
Adverb
-
The hearing centered on how America can stay ahead in the new space race, with lawmakers pressing the importance of Artemis and reaffirming the need for the Gateway space station and to maintain continuous operations in low Earth orbit (LEO).—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
4 Sep. 2025 -
Chili’s parent Brinker International has a lengthy growth runway ahead, according to Evercore ISI.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Colleyville Heritage defeated Richland 30-21 in a game halted early in the third quarter after a second lightning delay Friday at Mustang-Panther Stadium.—
Jordan Neal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Sep. 2025
-
The transfer window closed earlier this week.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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The number of new customers was about 116,000 fewer than the year before, and 106,000 below the company's goal, reported Reuters.—
Saleen Martin,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Chelsea clinched the title last season, and the season before, with victories over United.—
Megan Feringa,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
The defending world champions had already qualified for the 2026 World Cup, but Thursday was a celebration of Messi’s sterling international career.—
Felipe Cardenas,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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Armani, who had already introduced unstructured jackets for men and women, was part of the generation of designers who ushered in a less formal fashion era, one that would allow men and women to look refined without looking stuffy.—
Belinda Luscombe,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
Having previously allowed Alessia Russo, Ona Batlle and Mary Earps to run their contracts into the final stages — a situation the club say was unsettling for the squad — United were determined not to make the same error.—
Charlotte Harpur,
New York Times,
6 Sep. 2025
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The pair had previously enjoyed vacationing in Arizona, according to news reports and social media posts.—
Robert Faturechi,
ProPublica,
6 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Earlier.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earlier. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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