as in preparatory
coming before the main part or item usually to introduce or prepare for what follows
instantly recognized that chilled feeling as one of the precursory symptoms of a cold
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Recent Examples of precursory
This precursory knowledge came in handy when flipping through Assayas’ and Emmanuel Carrère’s Kremlin script.
—
Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precursory
Adjective
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The team will first play a preparatory series in Sri Lanka which begins in two weeks’ time.—
Dominic Fifield,
New York Times,
8 Jan. 2026
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They were discovered during preparatory work for road construction.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
28 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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Joseph took time during the bye week for preliminary interviews for head coaching jobs with the Cardinals, Ravens, Raiders, Giants and Titans.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
15 Jan. 2026
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The person cautioned the information was still preliminary, and the investigation was in its early stages.—
Steve Karnowski,
Twin Cities,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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And many banks offer zero-percent APR cards, which typically provide cards with no interest for an introductory period of, say, 12 to 15 months.—
Megan Cerullo,
CBS News,
20 Jan. 2026
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Or head to the Bergman Bowl for introductory bowl skiing, which boasts one green run above the treeline (for more experienced beginners).—
Alison Fox,
Outside,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Precursory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precursory. Accessed 21 Jan. 2026.
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