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
Disney also showed a trailer for advertisers and media buyers during Tuesday’s presentation, hinting at how the series will ultimately connect to its two predecessors.
—
Katie Campione, Deadline, 12 May 2026
And if things keep going Firstman’s way, his first feature, which also stars Cara Delevingne and Diego Calva, will prove to be just as popular as its like-minded predecessors.
—Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 12 May 2026
The case file on Weaver’s murder that Logothetti ultimately inherited from her predecessors at the Everett Police Department brimmed with outlandish theories around her death involving money laundering and cocaine.
—Nina Giraldo, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Within Iran, he is regarded as more willing than his predecessors to expand the use of missiles beyond strictly military targets.
—Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 9 May 2026
Since the bulbs are more efficient than their predecessors, the overhaul reduces annual carbon emissions by 67,000 metric tons and saves roughly $10 million in energy each year.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Her tenure ultimately lasted far longer than many of her predecessors.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 8 May 2026
Iran has installed rulers even more conservative and hardline than their predecessors.
—Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
In its approach to listening, World Rhythms marks a subtle but important break with its predecessors.
—Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
Katie Campione, Deadline, 12 May 2026
And if things keep going Firstman’s way, his first feature, which also stars Cara Delevingne and Diego Calva, will prove to be just as popular as its like-minded predecessors.
—Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 12 May 2026
The case file on Weaver’s murder that Logothetti ultimately inherited from her predecessors at the Everett Police Department brimmed with outlandish theories around her death involving money laundering and cocaine.
—Nina Giraldo, CNN Money, 10 May 2026
Within Iran, he is regarded as more willing than his predecessors to expand the use of missiles beyond strictly military targets.
—Hamidreza Azizi, Time, 9 May 2026
Since the bulbs are more efficient than their predecessors, the overhaul reduces annual carbon emissions by 67,000 metric tons and saves roughly $10 million in energy each year.
—Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026
Her tenure ultimately lasted far longer than many of her predecessors.
—Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 8 May 2026
Iran has installed rulers even more conservative and hardline than their predecessors.
—Mercury News & East Bay Times Editorial Boards, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
In its approach to listening, World Rhythms marks a subtle but important break with its predecessors.
—Joshua Minsoo Kim, Pitchfork, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predecessors
Noun
-
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
-
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
-
The group of 80-some species has ancestors going back tens of millions of years, originating in Asia.—
Craig Stanford,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
-
The Declaration had many ancestors.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Predecessors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predecessors. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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