as in final
formal
occurring immediately before the last one; next to the last
the penultimate chapter of the book the penultimate syllable of the word
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of penultimate
The season’s penultimate episode confirmed that Kingpin/Wilson Fisk’s (Vincent D’Onofrio) wife Vanessa (Ayelet Zurer) orchestrated the hit on Foggy’s life by freeing Bullseye from prison.
—
Skyler Trepel, People.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the penultimate episode, which tracks a devastating conversation between Jamie and the one person who successfully breaks down his walls.
—Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 16 Apr. 2025
Per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee, Murray has been given the green light to suit up in this penultimate contest.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025
The penultimate episode ended with Dr. Cassie McKay (Fiona Dourif) getting handcuffed by police for disabling her ankle monitor.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for penultimate
Skyler Trepel, People.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Nowhere is this more apparent than in the penultimate episode, which tracks a devastating conversation between Jamie and the one person who successfully breaks down his walls.
—Paula Mejía, The Atlantic, 16 Apr. 2025
Per Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee, Murray has been given the green light to suit up in this penultimate contest.
—David Faris, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Apr. 2025
The penultimate episode ended with Dr. Cassie McKay (Fiona Dourif) getting handcuffed by police for disabling her ankle monitor.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 11 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for penultimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for penultimate
Adjective
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Today’s sentence is the culmination of justice, but this is not the final chapter of Kyhara’s life story.—
Nicholas Williams,
New York Daily News,
24 Apr. 2025
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The Yorktown's final resting place wasn't discovered until a 1998 expedition found it about 1,000 miles northwest of Honolulu.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The video is the latest in a lengthy stream of controversies the probation department has faced in recent years.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
15 Feb. 2023
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The shooting happened the day before the fifth anniversary of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting that killed 17 and is the latest in what has become a deadly new year in the U.S.—
Joey Cappelletti and Mike Householder,
Anchorage Daily News,
15 Feb. 2023
Cite this Entry
“Penultimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/penultimate. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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