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
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Recent Examples of forerunners
Compared to their forerunners in the tsarist era, with their party congresses held abroad, their executive committees, and their active recruitment in imperial Russia’s universities, Soviet dissidents remained a comparatively small and informal conglomeration of activists.
—
Benjamin Nathans
september 24, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
Benjamin Nathans
september 24, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forerunners
Noun
-
By the late 2010s, the precursors of ChatGPT, Gemini, and DALL-E were spluttering to life, making real the future that the Army had envisioned in World War II.—
Angus Fletcher,
Big Think,
29 Sep. 2025
-
And the precursors for that reality may already be in motion, Metzger noted.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Demosponges are soft and squishy filter feeders and their ancestors likely shared similar characteristics.—
Maria Azzurra Volpe,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
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The African roots of cumbia are expressed not only through its percussion instruments - the tambor alegre, the llamador and the tambora - but also through the voices of ancestors reflected in the sung dances of the region.—
Karla Gachet,
NPR,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
One of the most worrisome harbingers of future affordability is that Florida added more than 700,000 units with gross rents higher than $1,200 monthly between 2012 and 2022.—
Jeffrey Steele,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
But there’s growing evidence that the current shutdown is somewhat different from its predecessors.—
Sarah Hutter,
CNN Money,
2 Oct. 2025
-
None of his three immediate predecessors — Will Muschamp, Jim McElwain and Dan Mullen — lasted four full seasons.—
Matt Baker,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Pic heralds from Deadpool and John Wick director David Leitch and Bullet Train producer Kelly McCormick’s 87North, and Bill Bindley and Mike Karz’s Gulfstream Pictures (Upgraded), which financed the movie.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
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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
-
The content banner will create original material for digital platforms with an eye on developing concepts and prototypes for movies, TV shows, live media, podcasts, e-commerce and more.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The team tested numerous prototypes by dropping a bottle equipped with a kirigami parachute from a height of nearly 200 ft (60 m).—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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With its references to holy water and angels, its spiritual elements have also broadened its appeal.—
Melinda Newman,
Billboard,
1 Oct. 2025
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The round is led by Daman Investments, with other investors including Cartography Capital, Epic Angels, Wahed Ventures, Accelerate Prosperity and several business angels.—
David Prosser,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
His deputies and outriders are not quite so deft.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
21 Sep. 2025
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Forerunners.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forerunners. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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