1
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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2
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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Recent Examples of precursors
Many scientists believe that the vocal systems of great apes were too limited to be considered precursors of human language, but the work of Crockford, Berthet and their colleagues suggests otherwise.
—
Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
These foods don’t have sky-high amounts of melatonin, and some contain more precursors to melatonin than the hormone itself, Tahir says.
—Sarah Klein, Time, 28 May 2026
People across the country are seeking millions through federal tort claims, precursors to possible lawsuits.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026
Could these be precursors to output deals?
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 22 May 2026
These are the behavioral precursors to the outcomes the lagging indicators will eventually measure, and building them in changes what leaders pay attention to daily, not just what they are evaluated against annually.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
And then, thanks to the precursors to the storm that ultimately ended the first round early — the wind, above all else — the weather made the last few shots on the course brutal.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 May 2026
Particularly, single-source precursors — essentially all-in-one starter molecules — were used to observe the material’s transformation step by step.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 Apr. 2026
So does a significant share of the fertilizer precursors and agricultural imports that Gulf states rely on to feed their populations.
—Tenzin Seldon, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 3 June 2026
These foods don’t have sky-high amounts of melatonin, and some contain more precursors to melatonin than the hormone itself, Tahir says.
—Sarah Klein, Time, 28 May 2026
People across the country are seeking millions through federal tort claims, precursors to possible lawsuits.
—Andrea Castillo, Los Angeles Times, 26 May 2026
Could these be precursors to output deals?
—Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 22 May 2026
These are the behavioral precursors to the outcomes the lagging indicators will eventually measure, and building them in changes what leaders pay attention to daily, not just what they are evaluated against annually.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026
And then, thanks to the precursors to the storm that ultimately ended the first round early — the wind, above all else — the weather made the last few shots on the course brutal.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 8 May 2026
Particularly, single-source precursors — essentially all-in-one starter molecules — were used to observe the material’s transformation step by step.
—Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 30 Apr. 2026
So does a significant share of the fertilizer precursors and agricultural imports that Gulf states rely on to feed their populations.
—Tenzin Seldon, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precursors
Noun
-
Even the Hammurabi Code, a set of laws created by the sixth Babylonian king in approximately 1760 bce, established forerunners of today’s interest rate and minimum wage laws.—
Chris Roush,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The Norwegian ended his season before the Olympics to further recover from a shoulder injury, but attended the finals as one of the forerunners, who test a course shortly before a race starts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Velociraptors and microraptors were not birds, but they were closely related to ancestors of the earliest birds, such as Archaeopteryx.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN Money,
4 June 2026
-
The behavior may be inherited from wild ancestors Why dogs like grass in the first place is harder to answer.—
Niranjana Rajalakshmi,
Popular Science,
4 June 2026
Noun
-
Jameela was born by emergency C-section in January 2024 after her mother, Sekani, began showing symptoms of preeclampsia.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 June 2026
-
Most people who are infected with West Nile virus will not develop symptoms, but those who do may experience a mild form of the illness, which can include fever, headache, body aches, swollen lymph glands or a rash, according to the IDOH.—
Michelle L. Quinn,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
If canaries in coal mines were harbingers of safe conditions, surely piping plovers at Waukegan Beach mean the city is overcoming its polluted past.—
Charles Selle,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
-
In recent years, there have also been reports of vandalism and attacks on robotaxis and delivery robots, which some see as harbingers of a high-tech future not everyone asked for.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There were always angels in Paris, and there are angels in Paris still.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
-
For years, Märtha has shamelessly used her position in the royal family to sell books and courses about how to speak to angels.—
Ola Morris Innset,
The Dial,
2 June 2026
Noun
-
The driver, identified as Rivas, showed signs of impairment, state police alleged, and fled as troopers checked him out for a potential DWI arrest.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
9 June 2026
-
Days later, the campaign was printing the slogan on lawn signs and using it on social media.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
The reason is that the 1996 Ferrari 550 Maranello’s arrival was one of the heralds of the Ferrari of today, the one building cars with both world-beating performance and everyday usability.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
28 May 2026
-
This ground-hugging perennial heralds the arrival of spring with a regal display of fragrant blooms.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
His deputies and outriders are not quite so deft.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
21 Sep. 2025
-
Churchill Downs outriders, jockey agents, jockeys Florent Geroux and Julian Leperoux, as well as members of Lukas' barn staff also sat in the crowd.—
Stephanie Kuzydym,
Louisville Courier Journal,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Precursors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precursors. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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