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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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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
-
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
-
These were the forerunners of today’s robots.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Our ancestors’ genomes were built through successive waves of gene transfers.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
11 June 2026
-
Drawing on generations of Chinatown family lore and silences, See turns China City’s vanished streets and her ancestors’ immigrant gambles into a historical fiction layered with stories of survival and belonging.—
Emily St. Martin,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Research shows that stimulating this region can improve sleep efficiency, reduce depressive symptoms and enhance cognitive sharpness.—
Emily Cegielski,
Flow Space,
9 Dec. 2025
-
As most analysts focus on the symptoms of competition—tariffs, semiconductor supply chain cutoffs, and short-term technological races—Beijing is building capabilities and influence in the underlying systems that will define the decades ahead.—
ELIZABETH ECONOMY,
Foreign Affairs,
9 Dec. 2025
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
-
If nothing else, Kidman should rally the rest of her Big Little Lies castmates as a roving band of blonde soothsayers and harbingers of eternal sleep.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Ten years after the mass shooting, Central Florida is uniting to remember the fallen angels who died that night while showing that love is stronger than hate.—
Patrick Connolly,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 June 2026
-
There were always angels in Paris, and there are angels in Paris still.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
Noun
-
The brand continues to grow, opening a Lisbon hotel in 2022, and its popularity shows no signs of waning.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
16 June 2026
-
Salah turned 34 today, with several fans bringing signs to the stadium in his honor.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
16 June 2026
Noun
-
The indie feature heralds from Benacus Entertainment and RNF Productions.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
14 Oct. 2025
-
If 30 heralds the end, Brown makes every last moment count.—
Pitchfork,
Pitchfork,
30 Sep. 2025
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 17 Jun. 2026.
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