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
Flight 12 will do much the same as its predecessors.
—
Mike Wall, Space.com, 19 May 2026
But some of the retailers that ultimately replaced the general store have some features in common with their main street predecessors.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 18 May 2026
The song’s frenetic pace was complemented by some wild strobe effects, while parts of the performance seemed to evoke the work of one of Wilson’s predecessors (and tonights’s ACM Awards host), Shania Twain.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2026
The end of his term as boss of the nation’s influential central bank prompted my trusty spreadsheet to grade his tenure against four predecessors and the economies of roughly the past half-century.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 15 May 2026
Like its gruesome predecessors, his latest full-length work features adorably designed anthropomorphic animals (and mushrooms) navigating bleak realities and confronting existentialist concerns.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 15 May 2026
The newest-generation Starship, known as Starship Version 3, is taller and more powerful than its predecessors.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
But compared to their predecessors and others in the region, this new generation of Gulf leaders offers a model of modernity that is envied and increasingly emulated throughout the Arab world.
—Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Like so many of his predecessors from the Heat developmental pipeline, there is an appreciation of complementing those higher in the hierarchy.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 14 May 2026
Mike Wall, Space.com, 19 May 2026
But some of the retailers that ultimately replaced the general store have some features in common with their main street predecessors.
—Daryl Austin, USA Today, 18 May 2026
The song’s frenetic pace was complemented by some wild strobe effects, while parts of the performance seemed to evoke the work of one of Wilson’s predecessors (and tonights’s ACM Awards host), Shania Twain.
—Charisma Madarang, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2026
The end of his term as boss of the nation’s influential central bank prompted my trusty spreadsheet to grade his tenure against four predecessors and the economies of roughly the past half-century.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 15 May 2026
Like its gruesome predecessors, his latest full-length work features adorably designed anthropomorphic animals (and mushrooms) navigating bleak realities and confronting existentialist concerns.
—Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 15 May 2026
The newest-generation Starship, known as Starship Version 3, is taller and more powerful than its predecessors.
—Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 15 May 2026
But compared to their predecessors and others in the region, this new generation of Gulf leaders offers a model of modernity that is envied and increasingly emulated throughout the Arab world.
—Thomas L. Friedman, Mercury News, 15 May 2026
Like so many of his predecessors from the Heat developmental pipeline, there is an appreciation of complementing those higher in the hierarchy.
—Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 14 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
-
This is among the most universal pieces of advice from our ancestors.—
Jonathan Haidt,
The Atlantic,
14 May 2026
-
One by one, group members tearfully thanked their ancestors and poured white rum on the beach.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 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
-
Take China’s export of fentanyl precursors, which the Drug Enforcement Agency first flagged as a serious problem back in 2015.—
Charlie Campbell,
Time,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Predecessors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predecessors. Accessed 20 May. 2026.
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