as in preludes
a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event
a meeting to discuss seating arrangements that was merely a preliminary to the formal negotiating sessions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preliminaries
Noun
-
Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne #84 of the San Francisco 49ers high fives Laken Tomlinson #75 during warm-ups to the NFL game against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium on January 03, 2021 in Glendale, Arizona.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Sep. 2025 -
While some raindrops were felt, the skies cleared quickly, and as the usual halftime clock expired, both the Broncos' and Titans' special teams came out for their warm-ups pretty much on schedule.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Needless to say, progressive Democrats did not respond to those companies’ overtures by abandoning Trader Joe’s and prosecco to guzzle Buds at Wally World.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Morrissey allegedly failed to respond to Marr’s overtures, so Marr trademarked the band’s name himself.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Preliminaries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preliminaries. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share