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
Perfected by forerunners such as Fiona Apple and Alanis Morissette, this fall has already seen two music stars gift us with lay-it-all-out-there lyrics.
—
Dan Heching, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
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
Dan Heching, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forerunners
Noun
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Trump said that Xi committed to cracking down on the production of fentanyl precursors as well in exchange for lowering tariffs on China.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Oct. 2025
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Alongside the minerals deal, Xi reportedly agreed to purchase additional American soybeans and to strengthen enforcement against the export of chemical precursors used to produce fentanyl—long a major sticking point in bilateral talks.—
Micah McCartney,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
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More rails flew back — their distant ancestors, still strong in Madagascar, made the same flight again.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Oct. 2025
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In the early 2020s, ancestors of the founder worked to bring the brand back to life, refocusing on the original cast-iron products that cooks loved.—
Editors of Bon Appétit,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Keep an eye on these state elections Could these statewide elections be harbingers of what's to come in the 2026 midterms?—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
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These could be harbingers of bigger things to come.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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On Tuesday, Sanae Takaichi met face-to-face with a man who has rattled leaders around the world, including her Japanese predecessors, on both security and economic fronts.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
28 Oct. 2025
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That third and final generation (2013 through 2017) was sophisticated by comparison to its predecessors, although drivers still had to stir their own six-speed gearbox and work a massive clutch pedal.—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The indie feature heralds from Benacus Entertainment and RNF Productions.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
14 Oct. 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
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There’s even a design echo between the nomadic Mongolian ger — the traditional felt tent sometimes referred to as yurts — and the Martian dome prototypes being developed by the MARS-V engineering team.—
Rosanna Philpott,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
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By comparison, the latest prototypes from Helix, Donut Labs, H3X, and Equipmake offer power densities between 13 and 25kW/kg, still less than half of YASA’s new record.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Reeves gives life to John Constantine, a chain-smoking cynic with the ability to perceive the true visage of half-angels and half-demons.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
21 Oct. 2025
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In 2017, the angels (who requested anonymity) attracted other donors, which enabled the school to finally return employees to normal salaries, cover tuition for needy students, acquire improvements, such as technology for students and teachers, and offer new courses, including art and music.—
Jan Goldsmith,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
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His deputies and outriders are not quite so deft.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
21 Sep. 2025
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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 4 Nov. 2025.
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