Definition of preamblenext
1
as in prelude
a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event the round of hors d'oeuvres was merely the preamble to an evening of lavish feasting

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2
as in introduction
a short section (as of a book) that leads to or explains the main part an insightful analysis of the preamble to the Constitution of the United States

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 preamble Enough preamble from me; let’s get into his reporting. Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026 In addition, this rule finalizes some of the amendments that were proposed on January 16, 2025, to fix incorrect regulatory text citations as well as clarify and add provisions in the regulatory text to match the language included in the preamble. Maya Wilkins, Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2026 Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor kicked off the ceremony with a brief speech thanking the audience, both in person and those watching the livestream, while providing a preamble that gestured at the ongoing conversations about the role of AI in film. Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 22 Jan. 2026 What Shyne focuses on in this quiet, experiential preamble is not the who, the where, or the why of this person’s passing. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for preamble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preamble
Noun
  • For Sienna, the season was a prelude to greater things to come.
    Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 9 Apr. 2026
  • Or merely the prelude to yet more drama in the final few weeks of the season?
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Shortly thereafter, gaps between high and low performers began to grow at the national level, which many education scholars attribute both to the introduction of screens and the loosening of accountability.
    Abby McCloskey, Twin Cities, 12 Apr. 2026
  • An easy hiking introduction to this park is the roughly one-mile Rim Trail that meanders along the canyon’s edge.
    Anthony Fredericks, Travel + Leisure, 12 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • The hockey playoffs weren’t affected by the storm and are expected to start on March 2 with Division II preliminaries.
    Jacob Rousseau, The Providence Journal, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Switzerland crushed Germany in the men’s curling preliminaries, keeping a consistent lead before ending the game with a score of 8-4.
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 17 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The volume collects work from the last decade, each with a brief preface from the author, giving us a puncture of the present into her words of the past.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Apr. 2026
  • The preface by historian Abul Fazl frames the work as a reconciliatory project.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • What’s a bigger flex than Kim Kardashian writing the foreword to your first book?
    Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 6 Apr. 2026
  • Her most recent, Spent Light, a novel, will be published in the US with McNally Editions in October 2026 with a foreword by Teju Cole.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Preamble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preamble. Accessed 15 Apr. 2026.

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