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
What separates Trump from many of his predecessors is not an appetite for war, but a refusal to tolerate endless gray zones.
—
Jason D. Greenblatt, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026
House of Fear also departs from its predecessors in that there can be only one winner.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Jan. 2026
Bonsignore’s two predecessors as commissioner didn’t serve as firefighters, either.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
What these accounts leave out is the fact that Trump has simultaneously steered economic policy in an even more pro-business direction than his Republican predecessors, including his own first-term administration.
—Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Unlike their early-2000s predecessors—typically slim and low only at the front—the new iteration will sit lower at both the front and back.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 5 Jan. 2026
In his previous 228 Premier League appearances for Brighton under Hurzeler’s predecessors Chris Hughton, Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi, Gross scored 30 goals and provided 45 assists.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
The third Avatar is earning at a slightly slower rate than its predecessors, but only slightly.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 4 Jan. 2026
While that follows the pattern of previous hiring freezes under Johnson and his predecessors, a leading mayoral critic nonetheless disapproved of the move when presented with the figures amid tense budget negotiations that only ended the weekend before Christmas.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
Jason D. Greenblatt, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026
House of Fear also departs from its predecessors in that there can be only one winner.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 9 Jan. 2026
Bonsignore’s two predecessors as commissioner didn’t serve as firefighters, either.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
What these accounts leave out is the fact that Trump has simultaneously steered economic policy in an even more pro-business direction than his Republican predecessors, including his own first-term administration.
—Gilad Edelman, The Atlantic, 5 Jan. 2026
Unlike their early-2000s predecessors—typically slim and low only at the front—the new iteration will sit lower at both the front and back.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 5 Jan. 2026
In his previous 228 Premier League appearances for Brighton under Hurzeler’s predecessors Chris Hughton, Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi, Gross scored 30 goals and provided 45 assists.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2026
The third Avatar is earning at a slightly slower rate than its predecessors, but only slightly.
—Bethy Squires, Vulture, 4 Jan. 2026
While that follows the pattern of previous hiring freezes under Johnson and his predecessors, a leading mayoral critic nonetheless disapproved of the move when presented with the figures amid tense budget negotiations that only ended the weekend before Christmas.
—Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 2 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predecessors
Noun
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The primacy of a central meeting space can be traced to the Greek Empire with the agora, among other forerunners.—
Jeanne Bonner,
CNN Money,
19 Dec. 2025
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Compared to their forerunners in the tsarist era, with their party congresses held abroad, their executive committees, and their active recruitment in imperial Russia’s universities, Soviet dissidents remained a comparatively small and informal conglomeration of activists.—
Benjamin Nathans
September 24,
Literary Hub,
24 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Susanne Hammel-Sawyer grew up in Santa Barbara knowing nearly nothing about the traditions of her Chumash ancestors.—
Jeanette Marantos,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Jan. 2026
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In October 2024, the lab firm used genealogical mapping, in which unidentified DNA is traced to relatives and ancestors to produce a more precise genetic profile and possible identity, to point to Contreras, according to the affidavit.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Those materials include sodium perchlorate, ammonium perchlorate precursors and nitrocellulose, all key components in solid-fuel rocket motors.—
Antonio María Delgado,
Miami Herald,
30 Dec. 2025
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But as the precursors have rolled in, co-star Benicio Del Toro — playing a character the audience loves and roots for — has swept nearly every major critics group.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
18 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Predecessors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predecessors. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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