1
as in precursors
one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another
the return of the swallows is traditionally regarded as a forerunner of spring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in ancestors
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
enjoyed the demonstration of the simple hand loom that was the forerunner of today's computer-controlled looms
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forerunners
Noun
-
Events once considered rare—like the 2003 Northeast blackout that hit 50 million people—are now seen as precursors of larger disruptions.—
Robert Rapier,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025 -
Tarnopolsky recommends against the precursors since much more evidence supports the finished product.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Andrea spends his free time here when not traveling the world performing, while his younger brother Alberto and his family quietly tend to the 300 acres of grain fields, vines, and olive trees, safeguarding the land their ancestors once farmed as sharecroppers.—
Jim Dobson,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
-
But the staff at the Indian Community School were nurturing and respectful while the students learned about their ancestors' heritage.—
Frank Vaisvilas,
jsonline.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The Armor Aluminum frame and glass create a cohesive package that feels well-balanced in the hand, just like the tablets' predecessors.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
4 Sep. 2025
-
With under four barrels of liquid in the entire release, The BigShǝBàng is even more limited than its 21 and 25 year-old predecessors.—
David Thomas Tao,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Pic heralds from Old Henry director Potsy Ponciroli.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Thy Kingdom Come’s entrance heralds 10 total appearances for the album’s tracks on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.—
Trevor Anderson,
Billboard,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Working together, the plant teams agreed to accept shorter lead times for receiving prototypes in return for designs with fewer problems.—
Nelson P. Repenning,
Time,
5 Sep. 2025
-
French rocket builder and ArianeGroup subsidiary MaiaSpace announced the completion of a monthslong test campaign that subjected several subscale prototypes of its propellant tanks to high-pressure burst tests, European Spaceflight reports.—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Paranoia-inducing fictions like Wells’s aside, the public came to view Martians not as monsters but as representatives of a higher civilization—as angels, even, at a time when new science was shaking old religious certainties.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Polar Wishes Collection Celebrate the season with traditional holiday motifs, such as light-up angels, presents, and snowmen.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
28 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Churchill Downs outriders, jockey agents, jockeys Florent Geroux and Julian Leperoux, as well as members of Lukas' barn staff also sat in the crowd.—
Stephanie Kuzydym,
Louisville Courier Journal,
19 Aug. 2025
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By contrast, during a recent visit to the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, in July, the king's convoy included four cars and three police motorcycle outriders.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
According to the Mayo Clinic, the surgery involves cutting away thin layers of the skin until there are no signs of cancer.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
-
There are early signs that Alonso will bring the best out of him.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Forerunners.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forerunners. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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