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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
Espaillat was the first Dominican American elected to Congress and the first formerly undocumented immigrant to serve as a congressional lawmaker.
—
Caroline Linton, CBS News, 24 June 2026
The center formerly served people like Ross, who took an upholstery class there, and adults with special needs who were part of separate programming.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2026
Most members don’t think of themselves as Amish anymore, in a strict sense, and describe themselves as ex-Amish or formerly Amish.
—Eythana Miller, The Dial, 23 June 2026
New additions to the company include VP Amron Lopez and agent Dane Cohen from The Team (formerly Wasserman), agent Amanda Harris from UTA’s Digital Brand Architects, and coordinator Alondra Pangilinan from The Team.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for formerly
Caroline Linton, CBS News, 24 June 2026
The center formerly served people like Ross, who took an upholstery class there, and adults with special needs who were part of separate programming.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 24 June 2026
Most members don’t think of themselves as Amish anymore, in a strict sense, and describe themselves as ex-Amish or formerly Amish.
—Eythana Miller, The Dial, 23 June 2026
New additions to the company include VP Amron Lopez and agent Dane Cohen from The Team (formerly Wasserman), agent Amanda Harris from UTA’s Digital Brand Architects, and coordinator Alondra Pangilinan from The Team.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for formerly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for formerly
Adverb
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Evidence of that is starting forward Mikel Oyarzabal becoming the first player on record since the 1966 tournament to fail to touch the ball once in the first 30 minutes against the Blue Sharks, according to Opta Stats.—
Patrick Sung Cuadrado,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
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And in perhaps the least surprising but still funny news of all, Zach Braff is on the Directing for a Comedy Series ballot three times, once each for the Bill Lawrence trifecta Scrubs, Shrinking, and Rooster.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
20 June 2026
Adverb
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Manager Dave Roberts, who looked down at his card when the throw was in the air, was already thinking through extra innings when the crowd erupted again.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2026
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Haiti already faced an uphill climb to get back into this game trailing 2-0, but now their opportunity to draw a point looks positively grim.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
20 June 2026
Adverb
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Campbell, who previously served on the Boston City Council, and was defeated in her bid for mayor, was elected attorney general in 2022, running on issues like transparency and accountability.—
Peter Lucas,
Boston Herald,
25 June 2026
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Customers can look forward to organic, handmade pasta and meats cooked over open fire, alongside seasonal veggies and sauces made from scratch, CharlotteFive previously reported.—
Tanasia Kenney,
Charlotte Observer,
24 June 2026
Adverb
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Earlier, a pair of Harry Kane goals — his ninth and 10th at World Cups — had twice put England ahead, only for some sloppy defending and smart attacking play to give Croatia a route back.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
19 June 2026
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Colson Montgomery also homered and made a key defensive play in the seventh before Chicago went ahead.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
19 June 2026
Adverb
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Friday night’s game marked a triumphant return for starting pitcher Seth Lugo, who nine days earlier took a comebacker off his forehead against the Texas Rangers.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
20 June 2026
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Minutes earlier, Freeman had been lying in the grass after colliding with an Australian player.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Formerly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/formerly. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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