PREDECESSORS Synonyms: 26 Similar and Opposite Words

predecessors

noun

plural of predecessor

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of predecessors But the arrangement rejects the conflict of interest protections that his recent predecessors in office had instituted. — Fatima Hussein, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026 Unlike his predecessors, Rider works from the Paris studio full time. — Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026 Like its predecessors, the Pro doesn’t include an ebook storefront, but its unlocked firmware means readers can upload their own EPUBs, PDFs, and more without worrying about compatibility problems or third-party restrictions. — Eliza Thompson, Time, 15 Oct. 2026 As a major bloc that has been able to apply pressure, the union has thwarted several efforts by Mamdani’s predecessors to ban the attraction, as hundreds of carriage operators make a living operating the buggies. — Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026 The torrent of money pouring out of the government, the central bank, and the private sector will make the AI bubble much bigger than any of its predecessors. — Ruchir Sharma, Foreign Affairs, 13 Oct. 2026 Its new Architecture 2 can substantially reduce the processing power required, around 30–40% less CPU than its predecessors. — New Atlas, 13 Oct. 2026 Thus, treating the first movie’s haul as the new standard for future chapters was misguided, particularly when sequels have historically earned less than their predecessors. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 7 Oct. 2026 Read More Significantly smaller and lighter than their predecessors, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 also offer stronger noise cancellation, a crystal clear transparency mode, and lengthy battery life. — Brad Bourque, The Verge, 6 Oct. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for predecessors

Noun

Rather than try to replicate his forerunners’ styles of success, Ternus has so far played to his own strengths—which are also those of Apple, a company that first and foremost builds beautiful products that spark productivity, creativity, and joy.

— Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Margaret and Alice are the forerunners of Lucy and Ethel, and Shakespeare’s comedy, written expressly to entertain, gives us a sense of what an Elizabethan-era situation comedy might look like.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2026

Definition of forerunners

Noun

The changes would have affected the environments in which life developed and evolved, from the age of the dinosaurs through to some of our oldest primate ancestors.

— Keith Cooper, Space.com, 13 Oct. 2026
In his view, Flagg Mountain’s fire-scarred stumps corroborate what his community already knew—that their ancestors used fire for centuries—and reinforce their sense of responsibility to care for the land.

— M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of ancestors

Noun

Ng, who is Jo Henderson’s oncologist, noted that her previous research found that women who ate more ultraprocessed foods had a higher risk of colon polyps that can be precursors to cancer.

— Kaitlin Sullivan, NBC news, 2 Oct. 2026
The coal and steel organization was the first among European institutions that were precursors to what eventually became the European Union.

— ABC News, ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of precursors

Browse Nearby Words

predecessor

predecessors

predestinate

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Predecessors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predecessors. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of predecessors

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

fervid

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes