early 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of earlynext
1
as in ancient
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period early birds of the Jurassic period

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unexpected
occurring before the usual or expected time we had an early dinner so as not to miss the concert

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

early

2 of 2

adverb

ˈər-lē How to pronounce early (audio)
as in immediately
before the usual or expected time that year spring arrived early

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 early
Adjective
With soaring childcare costs pushing young mothers out of the workforce, private investment in early learning is likely to keep drawing attention. — Fernanda Tronco, Fortune, 2 Oct. 2026 In early 2024, Pelley left the European Tour Group after the PGA Tour and the Saudi backers of LIV Golf formed a joint company to reshape pro golf and returned to Canada to become the MLSE head. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 2 Oct. 2026
Adverb
Taylor was sacked five times and pulled from the game with the Bulldogs down by 26 early in the fourth quarter. — ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026 The Fever did not attribute the injury to Thomas’ contact, and Clark had already experienced back trouble earlier in the season. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for early
Recent Examples of Synonyms for early
  1. ancient
  2. unexpected
  3. immediately
  4. primitive
  5. premature
  6. prematurely
  7. prehistoric
  8. sudden
Adjective
  • Bright rays mark material blasted outward by relatively recent impacts, while vast, dark lunar seas lie where basaltic lava flooded ancient craters.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 26 Sep. 2026
  • In one case this summer, water from a natural spring to the Palestinian village of Fasayil was illegally diverted to an ancient pool nearby.
    — Melanie Lidman, Los Angeles Times, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of ancient
Adjective
  • Keep scrolling to shop my favorite unexpected home finds starting at $100.
    — Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The decision by ChatGPT-maker OpenAI follows a raft of reports in recent months about AI agents behaving in unexpected ways, evading human guardrails or otherwise going rogue.
    — Joe Walsh, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of unexpected
Adverb
  • His office did not immediately respond to questions from The Associated Press regarding a possible snap election.
    — JOSEPH WILSON, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Reps for Bryan and Gillette stadium did not immediately return a request for comment.
    — Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of immediately
Adjective
  • Prince figured out how to make primitive-sounding electronics feel human.
    — Kristin Robinson, Billboard, 30 Sep. 2026
  • They’re rooted in a time and place that feels all too real, and this allows the monsters to parade their primitive might in a way that means something.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of primitive
Adjective
  • Machchhar also described an onboard emergency when a pregnant woman went into premature labor, forcing the crew to divert the plane.
    — Sheikh Saaliq, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Ashley Randolph Ashley Randolph transformed personal struggles into hope and support for Black families navigating premature births.
    — The Sacramento Bee staff, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of premature
Adverb
  • How to Protect Bird Seed From Humidity Humidity can cause your bird seed to spoil prematurely.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 27 Sep. 2026
  • These progressively compress the fuel to high density without prematurely heating it, reducing the peak power and complexity required from the driver, according to a press release.
    — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of prematurely
Adjective
  • Fossils of a prehistoric animal were uncovered at a SoCal construction site.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Think fewer flowers and more new prehistoric species named in your honor.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of prehistoric
Adjective
  • In many such cases, Pennington says, parents will want to give each child an equal inheritance to be fair, but also worry about how the struggling child will fare upon receiving a sudden inheritance.
    — Jeff John Roberts, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The account provided directly to Fox News offered a more harrowing description of the sudden descent, with the passenger saying people screamed as overhead compartments opened and power aboard the aircraft went out.
    — Bradford Betz, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of sudden

Browse Nearby Words

earls
early
earmark
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Early.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/early. Accessed 5 Oct. 2026.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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