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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The interaction between Hillary Galkin-Griffith from Three Hills Winery and Carol Erenyi, visiting for the weekend from Laguna Niguel with her husband, was typical of those whose wine tastings were precursors to future winery visits.—
Regina Elling,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Nov. 2025
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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
Noun
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Her ancestors were from Russia, who later fled to Ukraine and settled in Philadelphia.—
Colleen Kratofil,
PEOPLE,
4 Nov. 2025
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The idea was to go back to the basic foods that their ancestors ate.—
Chrystle Fiedler,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 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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What drove Roosevelt to diverge from his predecessors in his press dealings?—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
7 Nov. 2025
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In 1865, Congress tried and failed to fund a bust of him to be placed in the Capitol along with those of his predecessors.—
Equal Justice Initiative,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 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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According to Heuisler, after 21 years in barrels the whiskey stood at about 110 proof, and only about a quarter of the liquid actually remained after decades of the angels drinking their share.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
2 Nov. 2025
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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
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
Noun
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Trade discussions dominated those meetings, but there were signs of growing tensions over Beijing’s surging conventional and nuclear arsenal.—
Tamara Qiblawi,
CNN Money,
7 Nov. 2025
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Thanks to their thoughtful preservation efforts, signs of the past remain.—
Mel Studach,
Architectural Digest,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forerunners.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forerunners. Accessed 11 Nov. 2025.
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