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
The many new elements are deeper and much more exciting than their predecessors.
—
Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 2 June 2026
Marrero’s travel appears to exceed similar trips taken by his predecessors.
—Jessica Seaman, Denver Post, 1 June 2026
New CEOs and leaders face complexities in business that their predecessors never did, and rapid rates of change.
—David Morel, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
What makes less sense is how ghastly Be Cool is compared to either of its predecessors (and that its most interesting performances are from Vince Vaughn and Dwayne Johnson).
—Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
The Thunder, and SGA, reveled in it like their juggernaut predecessors.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 31 May 2026
Modern satellites are also vastly more capable than their predecessors.
—New Atlas, 30 May 2026
Today’s players are reminded of the labor battles their predecessors went through, and the resistance to any sort of salary limit is just as unyielding.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 29 May 2026
While the station lacked the grandeur of its predecessors, the rats could sure scuttle in conveniently.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 28 May 2026
Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 2 June 2026
Marrero’s travel appears to exceed similar trips taken by his predecessors.
—Jessica Seaman, Denver Post, 1 June 2026
New CEOs and leaders face complexities in business that their predecessors never did, and rapid rates of change.
—David Morel, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026
What makes less sense is how ghastly Be Cool is compared to either of its predecessors (and that its most interesting performances are from Vince Vaughn and Dwayne Johnson).
—Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 1 June 2026
The Thunder, and SGA, reveled in it like their juggernaut predecessors.
—Joel Lorenzi, New York Times, 31 May 2026
Modern satellites are also vastly more capable than their predecessors.
—New Atlas, 30 May 2026
Today’s players are reminded of the labor battles their predecessors went through, and the resistance to any sort of salary limit is just as unyielding.
—Jim Alexander, Oc Register, 29 May 2026
While the station lacked the grandeur of its predecessors, the rats could sure scuttle in conveniently.
—Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 28 May 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
-
In her book Fresh Banana Leaves, Indigenous scientist and scholar Jessica Hernandez meditates on the meaning of the banana plant within the ecologies of her ancestors across what is now Mexico and El Salvador.—
Sophia Rey,
JSTOR Daily,
28 May 2026
-
Crocodilian ancestors have persisted through mass extinctions, dramatic climate shifts and ecological upheavals that have eradicated countless other lineages.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Noun
-
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
-
People across the country are seeking millions through federal tort claims, precursors to possible lawsuits.—
Andrea Castillo,
Los Angeles Times,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Predecessors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predecessors. Accessed 3 Jun. 2026.
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