as in preludes
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 overtures
Altman would follow that with more than a year of overtures to Hollywood in which executives slowly warmed to him.
—
Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2026
Protect your energy by responding to social overtures on your schedule — not the world’s.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
However, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei didn’t agree, so not much came of the mutual overtures as Clinton’s time in office came to an end.
—Jeffrey Fields, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2026
If diplomatic overtures and negotiations do not persuade allies to adopt the same levels of restrictions proposed in the MATCH Act, the bill would direct the Commerce Department to invoke regulatory authorities that would force allies to cut off exports to China.
—Jared Perlo, NBC news, 2 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
Havana has extended similar invitations to the diaspora for years, but those overtures have yielded few real-world results.
—Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
No deals materialized despite the Sussexes’ overtures.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 9 Apr. 2026
Protect your energy by responding to social overtures on your schedule — not the world’s.
—Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 5 Apr. 2026
However, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei didn’t agree, so not much came of the mutual overtures as Clinton’s time in office came to an end.
—Jeffrey Fields, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2026
If diplomatic overtures and negotiations do not persuade allies to adopt the same levels of restrictions proposed in the MATCH Act, the bill would direct the Commerce Department to invoke regulatory authorities that would force allies to cut off exports to China.
—Jared Perlo, NBC news, 2 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
Havana has extended similar invitations to the diaspora for years, but those overtures have yielded few real-world results.
—Isabel Rosales, CNN Money, 21 Mar. 2026
No deals materialized despite the Sussexes’ overtures.
—Matt Donnelly, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Overtures.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overtures. Accessed 11 Apr. 2026.
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