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
-
Sergio Busquets and Xabi Alonso became their midfield pairing, as Xavi pushed ahead.—
Mark Carey,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025 -
Daylight saving time is the period between March and November when Americans set their clocks ahead by one hour.—
Cailey Gleeson,
jsonline.com,
22 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Those who have a personal my Social Security account may be able to view their COLA notice earlier online.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Officials at the college of roughly 2,800 undergraduates initially notified students on Sunday about Smith, whose disappearance was reported to Middlebury police earlier that afternoon.—
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
The league has dealt with gambling scandals before.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Villa had known Elliott was available in the months before, yet the price caused hesitation.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
But if the thought of freezing cold isolation and bunk pods sounds more like punishment than adventure, Mongolia’s Gobi already offers glimpses of the otherworldly in a far more comfortable setting.—
Rosanna Philpott,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
-
From the ongoing government shutdown to a national redistricting fight dropped on Indiana's proverbial doorstep and a 2026 statewide race already heating up, it's been anything but.—
Hayleigh Colombo,
IndyStar,
24 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
This comes after airspace violations involving balloons carrying contraband cigarettes which had previously forced the closure of airspace earlier in the month.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
-
As a result of the new agreement, Little Rock officers and sergeants will get another 5% pay increase in 2027 on top of the 5% increases previously negotiated for 2025 and 2026.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
25 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Earlier.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earlier. Accessed 29 Oct. 2025.
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