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
Eta's predecessor Steffen Baumgart was fired last week with the team having won none of its last three games, and only two of the last 14.
—
ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
Probably half of his predecessors did.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026
Brashly violent, clattery and pleasingly untied to any direct predecessor, the result is more generic than its braggy auteur claims might promise, but there’s a lot here for gorehounds to feast on.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Does Cronin’s film have the sharp narrative lines or control of those predecessors?
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for predecessor
ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
Probably half of his predecessors did.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026
Brashly violent, clattery and pleasingly untied to any direct predecessor, the result is more generic than its braggy auteur claims might promise, but there’s a lot here for gorehounds to feast on.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Does Cronin’s film have the sharp narrative lines or control of those predecessors?
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for predecessor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predecessor
Noun
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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
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Hungary’s incoming premier today showed investors how austere he is compared to his forerunner.—
Jonathan Tirone,
Bloomberg,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Based on the 1995 novel by Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic follows the witchy women of the Owens’ family, whose heartbroken ancestor cursed their bloodline so that any man who falls in love with an Owens woman dies a tragic death.—
Glenn Garner,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
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Since the discovery of the bacterial flagellar motor in the 1970s, biologists and creationists alike have marveled at its design like medieval architects staring with awe at the dome of the Pantheon built by their Roman ancestors.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The micro-drama, or duanju, emerged around 2018, and became popular on Douyin, the Chinese precursor to TikTok.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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Then a guy named Jerry Harvey started Z Channel, the legendary precursor to HBO.—
Donald Liebenson,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Predecessor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predecessor. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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