previous to

Definition of previous tonext
as in before
earlier than his passport arrived just previous to his trip

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 previous to The actor had lived in the home for some time previous to the renovation, and is seen walking through the bare-bones home sharing stories about each room before the gut job began. Claudia Williams, Architectural Digest, 12 Dec. 2024 In the four years previous to that Flamengo and Palmeiras dominated South American football winning two titles each. Joseph O'Sullivan, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024 The other alleged incident happened previous to the plaintiff’s full-time employment with Ye’s operations, which started in 2021. Dennis Romero, NBC News, 13 Oct. 2024 Pulte lived in Florida previous to his nomination to lead the independent agency, but his family has roots in metro Detroit. Susan Tompor, Freep.com, 14 Jan. 2022 See All Example Sentences for previous to
Recent Examples of Synonyms for previous to
Preposition
  • More than 150 Christians were abducted from three churches in another part of Kaduna in January before being released this week while at least 160 people, mostly Muslims, were killed by Islamic extremists in Kwara state for refusing to be indoctrinated.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 8 Feb. 2026
  • China has laid out an ambitious lunar plan to land astronauts on the moon before 2030, targeting the south pole, which contains water ice and other resources critical for long-term lunar exploration and settlement.
    Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 8 Feb. 2026
Preposition
  • After a run of three losses in four fights, Tszyu (26-3, 18 KOs) defeated Anthony Velazquez by unanimous decision in December, and reportedly will line up another fight prior to fighting Spence.
    SportsDay Staff, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
  • Blenkarn and Lim also spoke in an interview prior to the show of wanting to re-create the sensation of gathering around a television and passing a controller back and forth among family or friends while offering commentary on someone’s play style.
    Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2026
Preposition
  • The Seahawks used a first-round bye to rest, heal and prepare, and then routed the 49ers in a divisional-round game before beating the Rams, 31-27, to advance to the Super Bowl.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
  • Blue Origin, the space exploration company founded by Jeff Bezos, also holds a multibillion NASA contract to develop a vehicle capable of ferrying astronauts from deep space to the lunar surface.
    Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Previous to.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/previous%20to. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.

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