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
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Recent Examples of overture
In 2020, West Virginia officials invited certain Virginia localities to consider joining West Virginia amid disputes over gun and tax policies, an overture that drew attention but did not change borders.
—
Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Shortly before launching his solo career in 1972, Thompson politely declined Don Henley and Glenn Frey’s overtures to join what soon became the Eagles.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
The White House insisted that peace talks with Iran are ongoing, even as Tehran publicly rejected US overtures and issued fresh conditions of its own to end the conflict that’s wreaked havoc across the Middle East and global markets.
—Mario Parker, Bloomberg, 25 Mar. 2026
Iran, not surprisingly, rejected the overture publicly.
—Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overture
Kate Plummer, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 Apr. 2026
Shortly before launching his solo career in 1972, Thompson politely declined Don Henley and Glenn Frey’s overtures to join what soon became the Eagles.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Mar. 2026
The White House insisted that peace talks with Iran are ongoing, even as Tehran publicly rejected US overtures and issued fresh conditions of its own to end the conflict that’s wreaked havoc across the Middle East and global markets.
—Mario Parker, Bloomberg, 25 Mar. 2026
Iran, not surprisingly, rejected the overture publicly.
—Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for overture
Recent Examples of Synonyms for overture
prelude
Noun
-
The vast No Kings demonstrations should be considered a prelude to targeting enough Republican Senate incumbents and open races to flip the Senate this fall, and pressuring Republicans up for reelection in 2028 to do their constitutional duty.—
Robert B. Reich,
Hartford Courant,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Some staff fear this could be a prelude to job cuts.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
13 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overture. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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