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 Armor Aluminum frame and glass create a cohesive package that feels well-balanced in the hand, just like the tablets' predecessors.
—
PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
With under four barrels of liquid in the entire release, The BigShǝBàng is even more limited than its 21 and 25 year-old predecessors.
—David Thomas Tao, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, just 25% of graduates in previous years, such as their millennial and Gen X predecessors, struggled to land work after college.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025
Perhaps Ethan has an ace up his sleeve, and the third installment will leave its predecessors in its dust.
—Daniel Bromfield, Mercury News, 29 Aug. 2025
The reality is Emery’s strongest team still features the recruits of his predecessors.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Xi’s predecessors could tout the country’s rapid economic progress, but this ready source of political legitimacy has been evaporating, as growth has slowed and jobs are harder to find.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2025
What makes this scam different from its predecessors are the real-world components — storefronts and actual scooters.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2025
Alves said that his predecessors have had to deal with threats.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2025
PC Magazine, 4 Sep. 2025
With under four barrels of liquid in the entire release, The BigShǝBàng is even more limited than its 21 and 25 year-old predecessors.
—David Thomas Tao, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Meanwhile, just 25% of graduates in previous years, such as their millennial and Gen X predecessors, struggled to land work after college.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 3 Sep. 2025
Perhaps Ethan has an ace up his sleeve, and the third installment will leave its predecessors in its dust.
—Daniel Bromfield, Mercury News, 29 Aug. 2025
The reality is Emery’s strongest team still features the recruits of his predecessors.
—Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 27 Aug. 2025
Xi’s predecessors could tout the country’s rapid economic progress, but this ready source of political legitimacy has been evaporating, as growth has slowed and jobs are harder to find.
—Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2025
What makes this scam different from its predecessors are the real-world components — storefronts and actual scooters.
—Kevin Collier, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2025
Alves said that his predecessors have had to deal with threats.
—Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 16 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predecessors
Noun
-
Andrea spends his free time here when not traveling the world performing, while his younger brother Alberto and his family quietly tend to the 300 acres of grain fields, vines, and olive trees, safeguarding the land their ancestors once farmed as sharecroppers.—
Jim Dobson,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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But the staff at the Indian Community School were nurturing and respectful while the students learned about their ancestors' heritage.—
Frank Vaisvilas,
jsonline.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Events once considered rare—like the 2003 Northeast blackout that hit 50 million people—are now seen as precursors of larger disruptions.—
Robert Rapier,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Tarnopolsky recommends against the precursors since much more evidence supports the finished product.—
Matt Fuchs,
Time,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Predecessors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predecessors. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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