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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of prologue
Lean and terse and driven more by anxiety than incident, Van Dusen’s script doesn’t go in for surprises or conventionally developing tension, not least since the film’s prologue has already shown us where it’s all apocalyptically headed.
—
Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
After 12 years, an appetizer last February in the form of the 4 Nations Face-Off and four months’ worth of regular-season prologue, NHL players are ready to return to the ice at the Olympics.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Both men served as a prologue of sorts.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Advertisement The show also falls prey to a few unfortunate streaming-era trends, from a penultimate flashback episode that delays the payoff of a cliffhanger by filling in backstory of questionable utility, to a scantness of plot that makes the whole short season feel like an overgrown prologue.
—Judy Berman, Time, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prologue
Guy Lodge, Variety, 13 Feb. 2026
After 12 years, an appetizer last February in the form of the 4 Nations Face-Off and four months’ worth of regular-season prologue, NHL players are ready to return to the ice at the Olympics.
—Sean Gentille, New York Times, 11 Feb. 2026
Both men served as a prologue of sorts.
—Literary Hub, 21 Jan. 2026
Advertisement The show also falls prey to a few unfortunate streaming-era trends, from a penultimate flashback episode that delays the payoff of a cliffhanger by filling in backstory of questionable utility, to a scantness of plot that makes the whole short season feel like an overgrown prologue.
—Judy Berman, Time, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prologue
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prologue
Noun
-
Yannick Nézét-Séguin let the prelude speak with minimal fuss, then unspooled the rest of the score with total control, pulling the thread taut, relaxing it, and increasing the tension again, until by the end the orchestra bloomed into rapture.—
Justin Davidson,
Vulture,
11 Mar. 2026
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The jet set’s arrival in 1966 made Marrakesh synonymous with hashish-haze chic, yet the glossy-magazine pictures of Yves Saint Laurent in his garden and Talitha Getty on her rooftop were barely a prelude to the barrage of social media posts to come.—
Kevin West,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But the medium has evolved throughout history, never more so than in recent decades with the introduction of digital tools that can rapidly render complex forms.—
Edward Keegan,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
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The 98th Oscars will also see the introduction of a new prize, Best Casting, which is the first new category to be added to the Academy Awards in more than 20 years.—
Jodi Guglielmi,
Rolling Stone,
15 Mar. 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
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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
-
In his preface of the American Legion’s Junior Baseball for 1938 program, Chaillaux noted that 500,000 boys participated in Legion ball.—
Bill Swank,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Colbert opened his Monday night broadcast with a preface in light of Reiner’s death, as well as the shootings at Bondi Beach and Brown University.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
16 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
This May, the 50th anniversary edition of the book—revamped with a new foreword by culinary historian and journalist Toni Tipton-Martin—will be released.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
6 Mar. 2026
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With a foreword by fellow Oaklander and Native American author Tommy Orange, Wahpepah’s book invites readers to a pre-colonial cuisine of bison roast with chokeberry rub, acorn muffins and wild rice fritters stuffed with apples, cranberries, pepita crema and much more.—
Chase Hunter,
Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
However, as the intro to Ken Kwapis’s endearing documentary shows, not everybody would agree.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
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Our expert take The Citi® Diamond Preferred® Card is one of the best balance transfer credit cards and also has a generous intro APR offer.—
Brian Sloan,Dan Avery,
CNBC,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prologue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prologue. Accessed 17 Mar. 2026.
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