as in forerunners
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 predecessors
Many of these coupists capitalized on public discontent over deteriorating economies and security conditions to overthrow their predecessors.
—
Kaitlyn Rabe, The Conversation, 16 June 2026
Trump’s predecessors were hardly saints.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
None of his predecessors who tried to parlay Wall Street success into a shot at the American Presidency—from Hamilton to Harriman to Romney to Bloomberg—ever won.
—Gary Sernovitz, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
My predecessors used to say Art Basel is a reflection of the market and on the market.
—Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 15 June 2026
His predecessors have instead focused on deepening ties with Japan, which became an ally after the war.
—ABC News, 15 June 2026
Samsung Smartphone Deal The Galaxy Z Fold 7 redefines the foldable experience by being wider and slimmer than its predecessors, while offering 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage to support its massive 8-inch main screen.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 15 June 2026
Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez, appears to be continuing the tradition of her predecessors of making tactical concessions while maintaining the ultimate goal of keeping Chavismo in power.
—Alfredo Meza, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
Each of its parks is a step up from its predecessors as Al Zaabi explained to this reporter.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
Kaitlyn Rabe, The Conversation, 16 June 2026
Trump’s predecessors were hardly saints.
—Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 16 June 2026
None of his predecessors who tried to parlay Wall Street success into a shot at the American Presidency—from Hamilton to Harriman to Romney to Bloomberg—ever won.
—Gary Sernovitz, New Yorker, 15 June 2026
My predecessors used to say Art Basel is a reflection of the market and on the market.
—Harrison Jacobs, ARTnews.com, 15 June 2026
His predecessors have instead focused on deepening ties with Japan, which became an ally after the war.
—ABC News, 15 June 2026
Samsung Smartphone Deal The Galaxy Z Fold 7 redefines the foldable experience by being wider and slimmer than its predecessors, while offering 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage to support its massive 8-inch main screen.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 15 June 2026
Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez, appears to be continuing the tradition of her predecessors of making tactical concessions while maintaining the ultimate goal of keeping Chavismo in power.
—Alfredo Meza, CNN Money, 14 June 2026
Each of its parks is a step up from its predecessors as Al Zaabi explained to this reporter.
—Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predecessors
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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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
-
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
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Predecessors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predecessors. Accessed 19 Jun. 2026.
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