as in prelude
a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event
the parade down Main Street served as the overture for a weekend of fun and festivities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of overture
The deal offers Spirit a clearer, though still challenging, path toward survival after months of uncertainty, creditor infighting and failed merger and acquisition overtures.
—
Sabrina Valle, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
But hazards hover both in the turning weather, a threat in particular to Flor’s severe asthma, and in Junior’s work environment, where he’s treated with racist disregard by his co-workers, while locals incensed by the company’s violation of the forest make vengeful overtures.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2026
In the popular overture, elicitation of tumult concludes, with startling exhilaration, in the kind of grand Beethovenian triumph that never fails to excite.
—Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The winds have been blowing in the direction of the Jets tagging Hall since the trade deadline, when general manager Darren Mougey resisted overtures from other teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs, who, per ESPN, offered a fourth-round pick.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overture
Sabrina Valle, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
But hazards hover both in the turning weather, a threat in particular to Flor’s severe asthma, and in Junior’s work environment, where he’s treated with racist disregard by his co-workers, while locals incensed by the company’s violation of the forest make vengeful overtures.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Feb. 2026
In the popular overture, elicitation of tumult concludes, with startling exhilaration, in the kind of grand Beethovenian triumph that never fails to excite.
—Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2026
The winds have been blowing in the direction of the Jets tagging Hall since the trade deadline, when general manager Darren Mougey resisted overtures from other teams, including the Kansas City Chiefs, who, per ESPN, offered a fourth-round pick.
—Zack Rosenblatt, New York Times, 17 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overture
prelude
Noun
-
As Bill Callahan celebrates the release of new album My Days of 58, the stalwart singer-songwriter has unveiled a prelude to his May tour of North America.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
5 Mar. 2026
-
That was just a prelude of an incredible ending in which the Red Devils won the final four events of the meet, breaking state records in three of them.—
Matt Le Cren,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overture. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
