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
-
Together, the Democratic candidates account for nearly 56% of the vote so far, a sign of the difficult reelection path ahead for the incumbent.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
4 June 2026 -
The Knicks erased a fourteen-point Spurs lead in the third quarter and then surged ahead in the fourth, led once again by the New Yorker cover star Jalen Brunson, who added to his legend with a flurry of clutch jumpers in the final minutes.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
4 June 2026
Adverb
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The Trojans will now prepare to face Lamar University, which blew a five-run lead in a 7-5 loss to host Texas A&M earlier Friday.—
Jose de Jesus Ortiz,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
-
Authorities said earlier that Baker was responsible for or involved in the deaths of three men — Robert Shine and John Carse, both 69, and a 79-year-old man who has not been identified.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
30 May 2026
Adverb
-
Greg Biffle is accused in the lawsuit of being negligent in cooperating with Dutton, despite knowing the problems Dutton was experiencing before and during the flight, the lawsuit said.—
Jeff A. Chamer
May 29,
Charlotte Observer,
29 May 2026
-
His parents had seen it before.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Adverb
-
Trump has effectively imposed a fuel blockade on the island by threatening tariffs on countries supplying it with fuel, igniting seemingly endless power outages and delivering new blows to the island's already ailing economy.—
Phil Stewart,
USA Today,
30 May 2026
-
Industry groups warned that capping emissions too much and too quickly would push refineries out of the state and drive up already soaring energy costs.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 May 2026
Adverb
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The rapper could be seen dragging Cassie down the hotel hallway in surveillance footage that was shown to the jury and previously released to the public in 2024.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
4 June 2026
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Analysts have previously expressed concern that US stocks of the interceptors have been depleted by the Iran conflict as well as by last year’s 12-day war between Israel and Iran, and noted that manufacturing more takes time.—
Lauren Kent,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Earlier.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earlier. Accessed 6 Jun. 2026.
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