as in yet
up to this or that time
theretofore the couple hadn't given much thought to marriage, but the unplanned pregnancy changed everything
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 theretofore
The reaction to the release of All Quiet on the Western Front in Germany marked an early Hollywood encounter with the pathological race hatred of a theretofore unknown political party.
—
Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Sep. 2022
While deal volume in July and August still trends slower, recent years have enjoyed more robust markets during this period than theretofore.
—Frederick Peters, Forbes, 5 July 2022
There weren’t many bright colors, but some theretofore unnoticed textural quirks—on clothes, on faces—went wild with deep, scrutinizing, photographic detail.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2021
My confidence had reached a height theretofore unseen.
—Shannon Driskill, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2021
Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Sep. 2022
While deal volume in July and August still trends slower, recent years have enjoyed more robust markets during this period than theretofore.
—Frederick Peters, Forbes, 5 July 2022
There weren’t many bright colors, but some theretofore unnoticed textural quirks—on clothes, on faces—went wild with deep, scrutinizing, photographic detail.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2021
My confidence had reached a height theretofore unseen.
—Shannon Driskill, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for theretofore
Adverb
-
The idea was seen as an impossibility, Xu said, because scientists hadn’t yet figured out a way to precisely target a treatment area to control the process of cavitation.—
Kristen Jordan Shamus,
USA Today,
19 May 2025
-
The departments of Veterans Affairs, Energy, and Labor have yet to make their reports publicly available.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
18 May 2025
Adverb
-
There’s weed and benzos strewn on the coffee table, Ji-Na telling Fatima to run away fast, that she can’t be fixed, implying some kind of debilitating depression or mental illness Fatima’s Korean-French girlfriend was heretofore able to keep at bay.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 May 2025
-
And yet the invitation to explore Surrealism without Breton has the potential to be more generative than curators have heretofore allowed (even without entering into fantasies that his adversaries beat him up and chased him out of town).—
Jonathon Keats,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Theretofore.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/theretofore. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share