PRECURSORS Synonyms: 54 Similar and Opposite Words

precursors

noun

plural of precursor

as in forerunners

one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another 18th-century lyric poets like Robert Burns were precursors of the Romantics

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in ancestors

something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed a precursor of the modern eggplant

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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 precursors Should tens of thousands of American lives have been saved as a result of decisions made about fentanyl precursors in China, the implications are massive. — J. Travis Donahoe, STAT, 23 Oct. 2026 Just as concerning, the pair may run into the same eligibility issues at the precursors as Seyfried. — Nate Jones, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026 The three have also introduced tax plans that could be precursors to 2028 platforms. — Jared Ochacher, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026 Kiwi Light enough not to burden digestion, kiwi contains natural serotonin precursors and some research links it to faster sleep onset. — Patsy Anthony, Vogue, 19 Oct. 2026 The forms are precursors to those Kairos Power and construction partner Barnard Construction plan to use for portions of the Hermes reactor facility. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Oct. 2026 Ng, who is Jo Henderson’s oncologist, noted that her previous research found that women who ate more ultraprocessed foods had a higher risk of colon polyps that can be precursors to cancer. — Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026 The coal and steel organization was the first among European institutions that were precursors to what eventually became the European Union. — ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026 Depots could reconstitute expended stocks on site, as quickly as mineral precursors can be extracted and processed. — Dan Driscoll, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for precursors

Noun

Rather than try to replicate his forerunners’ styles of success, Ternus has so far played to his own strengths—which are also those of Apple, a company that first and foremost builds beautiful products that spark productivity, creativity, and joy.

— Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Margaret and Alice are the forerunners of Lucy and Ethel, and Shakespeare’s comedy, written expressly to entertain, gives us a sense of what an Elizabethan-era situation comedy might look like.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026

Definition of forerunners

Noun

Athorp’s easygoing, unassuming demeanor belies his decades-long experience and expertise, which are rooted in the knowledge passed down by his Indigenous ancestors.

— Kate Nelson, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
According to family history, DaCosta Levy’s family lineage traced to Portugal, where his ancestors had been mariners — almost certainly Sephardic Jews who scattered across the Atlantic world after the Inquisition.

— Zachary Kranc, Sun Sentinel, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of ancestors

Noun

Lewy body dementia symptoms tend to start with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, such as screaming or kicking during sleep.

— Iris Kwok, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026
In the early stages, the condition often has no symptoms and can quietly progress.

— Fresenius Kidney Care, Charlotte Observer, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of symptoms

Noun

The hottest topics waffle between Nick Sirianni’s job security and the treatment of Jalen Hurts’ blood clots, none exactly harbingers of good news.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2026
Related What were once blips on the modern music timeline now feel like harbingers of things to come for 2027.

— Leila Cobo, Billboard, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of harbingers

Noun

None of Wiseman’s institutional portraits have the voices of angels talking to the guy in charge.

— Alex Barasch, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026
The woman understood from her hasty reading that perhaps all miracles could be attributed to saints and angels if they were experienced by a believer.

— Ellen O’Connell Whittet, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of angels

Noun

Clever touches—in-room iMacs; a choice of colors from the bedside light; two do not disturb signs, one of a person sleeping, the other clearly suggesting that the couple inside are not—make your stay memorable, as do the eager-to-please staff.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Oct. 2026
Aston got access to the dominant F1 team’s engineering genius; RBR got to put an actual automaker’s name on its signs.

— Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of signs

Noun

The comedy-drama heralds from Adeel Ahmed and writer-director Batra’s film and TV outfit Poetic License, and is being produced in partnership with Jio Studios (Dhurandhar), and Good Chaos (Ballad Of A Small Player).

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 26 Oct. 2026
Chain bookselling, which enabled the unification of the reading market, was one of the first heralds of a globalizing age.

— Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of heralds

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“Precursors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precursors. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of precursors

noun

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