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as in earlier
so as to precede something in order of time
if you didn't get a malaria shot formerly, you'd better get one now
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of formerly
She is best known for her successful tag team partnership with Katana Chance (formerly Kacy Catanzaro).
—
Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Curiosity and possibly even lust play into their first encounter; part of the welcome complexity between this pale-skinned woman of substance and this tall, equally alabaster, formerly dead drink of water is the ambiguity in their initial interactions.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
Alexander Fisher, formerly fashion director of WSJ, joins Utz as fashion director of Numéro New York.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2025
The competition the pair was attending was an annual aerobatic contest, formerly known as the High Plains Hotpoxia.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formerly
Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025
Curiosity and possibly even lust play into their first encounter; part of the welcome complexity between this pale-skinned woman of substance and this tall, equally alabaster, formerly dead drink of water is the ambiguity in their initial interactions.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Sep. 2025
Alexander Fisher, formerly fashion director of WSJ, joins Utz as fashion director of Numéro New York.
—Miles Socha, Footwear News, 9 Sep. 2025
The competition the pair was attending was an annual aerobatic contest, formerly known as the High Plains Hotpoxia.
—Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for formerly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formerly
Adverb
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And then, inside the museum hangs a mobile by the most famous Calder of all, Alexander Calder, its white disks floating—at once ethereal and pronounced—against the sandy-colored stone columns of the Great Stair Hall.—
Chloe Schama,
Vogue,
16 Sep. 2025
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Start with once daily, and if your skin can handle it, gradually increase to two or three times per week.—
Lily Wohlner,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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Carbon credit monetization – Forward-looking companies are already earning credits by capturing and storing emissions, feeding into voluntary and compliance carbon markets.—
Peter Bendor-Samuel,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
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Artificial intelligence is no longer on the horizon—it is already embedded in healthcare systems.—
Nia Bowers,
USA Today,
12 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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The actress had previously teamed up with the company for a suggestive body wash commercial.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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Polish officials previously said that there were 19 intrusions of the country’s airspace, and that a large proportion of the drones entered from Belarus.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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That deal would potentially break a rule that no single broadcaster can reach more than 39 percent of American homes, so the FCC would have to lift the cap in order for the merger to go ahead.—
Amanda Castro
Shane Croucher
Anna Commander,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Sep. 2025
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Go ahead and then play around and kick the tires on doing some vibe coding.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Adverb
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This, however, was quite a different context from when Bianca Censori stepped out in a see-through dress at the Grammys earlier this year with her husband Ye, formerly known as Kanye West.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
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Lopes has good technical striking skills, at least early in his fights, and excellent grappling.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Formerly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formerly. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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