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
as in introduction
a short section (as of a book) that leads to or explains the main part
a brief prologue sets the scene for the story that follows
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prologue
The Triennial is typically preceded by a prologue, taking place a year before the main exhibition.
—
News Desk, Artforum, 10 Mar. 2026
La Fontaine’s fable runs to 44 lines; after the infernal prologue, the remaining 40 sketch the fortunes of Hell’s two daughters.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
Winners will be announced in a ceremony on Friday, April 17 at USC’s Bovard Auditorium, a prologue to the 31st annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, taking place April 18-19.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Then our couple from the prologue, Billie (Isabel DeRoy-Olson) and Albert (William Hope) pull up to the trading post, looking for a map.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prologue
News Desk, Artforum, 10 Mar. 2026
La Fontaine’s fable runs to 44 lines; after the infernal prologue, the remaining 40 sketch the fortunes of Hell’s two daughters.
—Jan Steyn, The Dial, 10 Mar. 2026
Winners will be announced in a ceremony on Friday, April 17 at USC’s Bovard Auditorium, a prologue to the 31st annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, taking place April 18-19.
—Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 2026
Then our couple from the prologue, Billie (Isabel DeRoy-Olson) and Albert (William Hope) pull up to the trading post, looking for a map.
—Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prologue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prologue
Noun
-
For Sienna, the season was a prelude to greater things to come.—
Kyle Newman,
Denver Post,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Or merely the prelude to yet more drama in the final few weeks of the season?—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
My introduction to soccer came while covering the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the old North American Soccer League as a young sportswriter in the 1970s when the Brazilian star Pelé — still the only player to win three World Cups — played for the New York Cosmos.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
6 Apr. 2026
-
The system has introduced a new layer of strategy and drama to baseball, but its introduction has also forced the sport to grapple with a question that never really had a concrete answer until today.—
Mac Cerullo,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The hockey playoffs weren’t affected by the storm and are expected to start on March 2 with Division II preliminaries.—
Jacob Rousseau,
The Providence Journal,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Switzerland crushed Germany in the men’s curling preliminaries, keeping a consistent lead before ending the game with a score of 8-4.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
17 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The volume collects work from the last decade, each with a brief preface from the author, giving us a puncture of the present into her words of the past.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Apr. 2026
-
The preface by historian Abul Fazl frames the work as a reconciliatory project.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
What’s a bigger flex than Kim Kardashian writing the foreword to your first book?—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Her most recent, Spent Light, a novel, will be published in the US with McNally Editions in October 2026 with a foreword by Teju Cole.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
But the group and its half a dozen dancers, already performing perilous splits before breakfast, were prepping to run through the steps of the big intro to their set.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Balance transfer fee There is an intro balance transfer fee of 3% of each transfer (minimum $5) completed within the first 4 months of account opening.—
Ryley Amond,
CNBC,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prologue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prologue. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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