prior to

Definition of prior tonext
as in before
earlier than make sure all revisions are approved by the author prior to publication

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 prior to According to the probable cause statement, witnesses told investigators Donato had been engaged in a verbal argument with her neighbor and several others prior to the shooting. Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026 The Phillies hired Thomson as the team’s bench coach prior to the 2018 season. Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026 Jones first worked with Big Machine founder Scott Borchetta in 1997 on the opening of DreamWorks Nashville, prior to Dreamworks Records’ purchase by Universal Music in 2003. Andrew Flanagan, Variety, 28 Apr. 2026 Hisham Abugharbieh with his hands raised prior to being taken into custody. Cristian Benavides, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prior to
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prior to
Preposition
  • Minaj will attend as a guest of Fox News, which is also throwing its own VIP party before Saturday's official dinner, Fox confirmed to USA TODAY.
    Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026
  • Several days before the draft, McVay and Snead described their connection.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
Preposition
  • Over the three seasons previous to 2025-26, the two men played 1,343 minutes together at five-on-five, scoring 4.51 goals per 60 with a 62 percent goal share.
    Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
  • Kent, originally from Sutton, graduated from the State Police Academy in 2022 and did not have a disciplinary record previous to this incident, the Herald previously reported.
    Colleen Cronin, Boston Herald, 5 Mar. 2026
Preposition
  • Seeking offense, New York plans to designate Tommy Pham for assignment and has agreed to a major league contract with Austin Slater, a pair of people familiar with the move said, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the decisions were not announced.
    Ronald Blum, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
  • So Rantanen’s somewhat blasé attitude following Saturday’s wrenching Game 4 loss to the Minnesota Wild — losing the lead with barely five minutes to go on Marcus Foligno’s equalizer, then losing the game in overtime on Matt Boldy’s deflection — was at least well earned.
    Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 27 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prior to.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prior%20to. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on prior to

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster