as in forerunner
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
the once-ubiquitous typewriter was the predecessor of today's electronic keyboard
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Recent Examples of predecessor
Like its predecessors, Nigro is producing.
—
William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 3 May 2026
The Streamliner Pump is merely following in its predecessors’ footsteps.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 2 May 2026
On Saturday, Duffy concentrated blame on Biden as well as Duffy’s predecessor, Pete Buttigieg.
—Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
D’Amaro’s predecessor Bob Iger toyed with the idea for more than a decade, even testing a less comprehensive version in the UK.
—Thomas Buckley, Fortune, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for predecessor
William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 3 May 2026
The Streamliner Pump is merely following in its predecessors’ footsteps.
—Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 2 May 2026
On Saturday, Duffy concentrated blame on Biden as well as Duffy’s predecessor, Pete Buttigieg.
—Aamer Madhani, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2026
D’Amaro’s predecessor Bob Iger toyed with the idea for more than a decade, even testing a less comprehensive version in the UK.
—Thomas Buckley, Fortune, 2 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for predecessor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predecessor
Noun
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Las Damas was founded in May 1948 and put on the Beachcomber’s Carnival, a forerunner of the Sunset Beach Art Festival, in July of that year.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
7 May 2026
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The brand was also a forerunner with exclusive collaborations.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
Noun
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The Declaration had many ancestors.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
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Hallmark’s Romance at Hope Ranch star Hogan will be taking on the role of Grayson Goodwin in the new season, portraying a descendant of one of Port Haven’s founders, Cyrus Goodwin, and an ancestor of Casey Goodwin.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
3 May 2026
Noun
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The missive, which could be a precursor to a lawsuit, opens another avenue of attack against the controversial $111-billion deal, which would transform the smaller Paramount into an industry titan.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Predecessor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predecessor. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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