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
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
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Recent Examples of early
Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
Ukraine’s drone forces commander Robert Brovdi said Kyiv had attacked Sevastopol’s main power substation seven times in the early hours of Wednesday.
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Zahra Ullah,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2026
Communicate early, and friendships strengthen naturally.
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Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for early
Adjective
Kaan Ayhan’s stoppage-time goal ended the Americans’ unbeaten start after early goals from Auston Trusty and Sebastian Berhalter.
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Kevin Baxter,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2026
Ukraine’s drone forces commander Robert Brovdi said Kyiv had attacked Sevastopol’s main power substation seven times in the early hours of Wednesday.
—
Zahra Ullah,
CNN Money,
26 June 2026
Adverb
Minasian clashed with respected manager Joe Maddon early in his tenure, eventually leading to Maddon’s firing amid an epic losing streak in the 2022 season.
—
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2026
Communicate early, and friendships strengthen naturally.
—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
27 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for early
Recent Examples of Synonyms for early
Adjective
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In a macro picture, retirement at 65 is becoming an ancient concept.
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Archaeologists uncovered two alabaster kohl containers with traces of ancient eye makeup and a third kohl container crafted from black obsidian.
Adjective
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The exercise also included unexpected financial setbacks.
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The settlement that ended Justin Baldoni and Blake Lively's blockbuster legal war began with an unexpected Friday night phone call.
Adverb
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Rodríguez also said the country’s entire public and private healthcare network had been activated to treat the injured, urging doctors, nurses and other medical personnel to report immediately to their workplaces.
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Arraez fouled a ball off the top of his right foot in the bottom of the first inning on Tuesday, immediately dropping to the ground in pain but ultimately staying in the game.
Adjective
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These few extra channels—combined with some sounds ripped from an expansion for the MSX, another 8-bit console—were enough to transcend the Game Boy’s original limitations while still evoking the handheld system’s primitive beauty.
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Likewise, primitive asteroidal bodies are somewhat like fossilized remnants of the building blocks of the solar system's planets, including Earth.
Adjective
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According to the results, any amount of resistance exercise, even a few minutes a week, was associated with a lower risk of premature death than never lifting at all, including among people who regularly walked, ran or did other aerobic exercise.
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But when temperatures climb above 85°F, or there’s an extended period of dry heat, veggies can wilt away or drop their flowers or premature fruit, diminishing or, in the worst case, destroying the harvest.
Adverb
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Carrero’s defense lawyer Jennifer Brown detailed in court papers that the teen had a challenging past, saying he was born prematurely with drugs in his system and was abandoned by his biological parents at the hospital after his birth.
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Lifting for that much time each week was linked to a 13 percent lower risk of dying prematurely from any cause and a 19 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease.
Adjective
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Devil’s Den Spring Located in Levy County, Devil's Den Spring is a prehistoric natural spring inside a cave that offers diving and snorkeling in crystal clear, 72-degree waters all year long.
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Turn left out of the hotel for the Museu de Menorca, revealing a comprehensive history from modern mass tourism back to prehistoric times, and the Talayotic culture, from 1600 BCE to 123 BCE.
Adjective
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From a fatal weekend crash on the I-184 Connector to a sudden summer cooldown, here’s a roundup of top stories the Idaho Statesman has published this week.
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The blockbuster rulings that dominate the news cycle each June are not sudden flashes of judicial willpower.
Cite this Entry
“Early.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/early. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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