PRELUDES Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

preludes

noun

plural of prelude

as in prologues

a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event an eruption of sectarian violence that proved to be the prelude to all-out civil war

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in prefaces

a short section (as of a book) that leads to or explains the main part the musical had a brief prelude to get the audience in the proper mood

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for preludes

Noun

They’re also required to report any such overtures to the league.

— Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026
Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray, Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller, Brighton’s Carlos Belaba, Botafogo’s Danilo and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Larsson were among them, while overtures were made regarding Victor Froholdt’s availability at Porto.

— George Caulkin, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of overtures

Noun

This year’s Miss World competition recently made headlines during the preliminaries when Ugandan delegate Elle Muhoza made a powerful fashion statement.

— Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026
But all of that was just the preliminaries for Grady Emerson.

— John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 26 July 2026

Definition of preliminaries

Noun

Over Labor Day weekend, Jackson hosted at least a dozen events up and down Maine to make his first public introductions to voters deep into the cycle.

— Christopher Buchanan, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
During starting lineup introductions, third-string quarterback Cooper Rush ran out of the tunnel and received a soft chorus of boos.

— Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of introductions

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.

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prelude

preludes

prelusive

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“Preludes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preludes. Accessed 26 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of preludes

noun

Example Sentences

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