variants also prolog
1
as in prelude
a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event unfortunately, the burglary, which he committed while still a teen, was but a prologue to a wasted life of crime

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2

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 prologue Past as prologue The game of whack-a-mole has gone on for decades and has spanned the globe. Kevin G. Hall, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2025 If the past is a prologue to the future, if continued, this may not end well for America. Gary Franks, Hartford Courant, 26 Apr. 2025 But that’s not the case, and as the opening prologue showcases, the Irish have their own form of griots, the filidh, poets, and oral history keepers who were successors to the druids. Richard Newby, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2025 That was mere prologue to her long-running lead roles on UPN’s One on One (2001–2006) and The Proud Family (2001–2005) as the voice of Penny. EW.com, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for prologue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prologue
Noun
  • Earlier this month, the administration began targeting the nonprofit status of Harvard University, which could be a prelude to a broader effort to eliminate the tax-exempt status for other nonprofit organizations that the administration has clashed with.
    Adam S. Minsky, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
  • Hegseth may not know that the U.S. suffered twice as many casualties as the Spanish in that long-ago battle, the prelude to a needless and costly war of aggression.
    Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 8 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The following video provides an introduction to the production model.
    Ben Coxworth May 15, New Atlas, 15 May 2025
  • Silverman added that Cohen offered to introduce Silverman to Anderson, but when the introduction happened, Anderson allegedly balked at a friendly greeting.
    Tommy McArdle, People.com, 15 May 2025
Noun
  • Early preliminaries will air on ESPN+, Disney+, and UFC Fight Pass starting at 6 p.m. ET.
    Jim Varsallone, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2025
  • Late preliminaries available on ESPN+, ESPN, Disney+, and ESPN Deportes at 8 p.m. ET.
    Jim Varsallone, Miami Herald, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • However, commercial pressures meant lyricists often wrote intros based solely on show titles, leading to more generic hooks, as seen in the show El Kaboos.
    Hala Mustafa, Billboard, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Grande is in a dying breed of A-list musicians who value the art of album-making, and that much is clear by how aligned the six new songs (five-and-a-half, really, since one is an extended intro) are with the existing record.
    Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prologue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prologue. Accessed 20 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on prologue

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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