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
-
But the fairy godmother’s spell wore off early in Game 6, which was just 62 seconds old when Vegas went ahead to stay.—
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026 -
So what stands out most about the Chiefs’ road ahead?—
Jesse Newell,
New York Times,
15 May 2026
Adverb
-
Holding court with reporters earlier this week, Gerrit Cole went over why the Yankees’ upcoming series-opener against the Rays would be so important.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
23 May 2026
-
Three Rock rises to the occasion But the members of Three Rock are eager to prove their mettle, especially Hartman (Simon Auclair), whose jealousy over Ace's graduation earlier this season left him with a massive chip on his shoulder.—
Britt Hayes,
Entertainment Weekly,
23 May 2026
Adverb
-
Pete has disappeared while trekking a little too far from home before, but nothing to this magnitude.—
Brenton Blanchet,
PEOPLE,
22 May 2026
-
Still, if men have never dabbled into the makeup world before, knowing where to start can be quite overwhelming—not to mention confusing.—
Christian Allaire,
Vogue,
22 May 2026
Adverb
-
Now that group – which already actively consisted of Cam Schlitter, an emerging ace in his own right, Rodón, Will Warren and Ryan Weathers – has a six-time All-Star back in the fold.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
23 May 2026
-
SpaceX is already taking reservations for private flights to the moon and Mars on Starship.—
Marcia Dunn,
Los Angeles Times,
23 May 2026
Adverb
-
The backstory This previously residential Edwardian manor house has been turned into a 31-room hotel and members’ club by former Blakes owner Navid Mirtorabi, with the help of business partner Jamie Reuben, a scion of a family that owns swathes of Mayfair.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 May 2026
-
Levin previously worked with Coker as an early investor in Strikeforce.—
Mark Puleo,
New York Times,
21 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Earlier.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earlier. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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