as in prelude
a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event
the couple's initial exchange of insults proved to be only a warm-up for their booze-fueled fight later that night
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Recent Examples of warm (up)
Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 1 Aug. 2025
The shorter race offers runners a warm-up with tropical vibes, beginning on Watson Island and finishing at the southern tip of South Beach.
—Steve Gorten, Miami Herald, 31 July 2025
Most are 10- to 15-minute sessions involving elements like running drills, plyometrics, strength moves, and stretching, which can double as a dynamic warm-up.
—Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 31 July 2025
And for his warm-up act, Lee, who didn’t even begin the game in the starting lineup, also hit an RBI double, driving in all five runs in the Twins’ 8-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night at Target Field.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for warm (up)
Verb
Key Takeaways The 6-6-6 walking challenge encourages walking for 60 minutes three times a week, starting at 6 a.m. or 6 p.m.
The workout includes six minutes of warm-up walking and six minutes of cool-down walking.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 1 Aug. 2025
The shorter race offers runners a warm-up with tropical vibes, beginning on Watson Island and finishing at the southern tip of South Beach.
—Steve Gorten, Miami Herald, 31 July 2025
Most are 10- to 15-minute sessions involving elements like running drills, plyometrics, strength moves, and stretching, which can double as a dynamic warm-up.
—Cindy Kuzma, SELF, 31 July 2025
And for his warm-up act, Lee, who didn’t even begin the game in the starting lineup, also hit an RBI double, driving in all five runs in the Twins’ 8-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night at Target Field.
—Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for warm (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for warm (up)
Noun
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Without prelude, Eva Longoria suddenly popped up in the second episode of this spring’s fourth season of FX’s Welcome to Wrexham, cheering alongside Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny (now Rob Mac) in the crowd at the Racecourse.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Aug. 2025
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And, just by wild coincidence, the stunt came right as the administration barreled ahead with the bombing of Iran, a destabilizing and politically unpopular action that for many Americans recalled the preludes to other catastrophic wars the U.S. has initiated in the Middle East.—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
25 June 2025
Verb
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The ending scene of a lifelike Trump is also presented as a faux public service announcement, referencing Trump’s claim that the Paramount settlement will provide him $20 million worth of advertising and PSAs.—
Conor Murray,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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However, India began to lean towards the Soviet Union in the 1970s when the US began providing military and financial assistance to India’s neighbor and longtime rival Pakistan.—
Jessie Yeung,
CNN Money,
6 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Today's listen Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The Scripps National Spelling Bee is celebrating its 100th anniversary this week, with preliminaries kicking off last night.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
28 May 2025
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Sports High School Sports News See who qualified from Thursday's preliminaries for the CIFSS Division 1 finals on Saturday at Mt. SAC.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
8 May 2025
Verb
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Teachers will be supplied with slide decks and lesson materials by the district while following a three-part framework: first teach; demonstration of learning; and reteach and challenge.—
Lina Ruiz,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
12 Aug. 2025
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The rest of the Vulcan rocket performed close to perfection on the two test flights last year, including the vehicle's BE-4 main engines supplied by Blue Origin, the space company owned by billionaire Jeff Bezos.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Present information directly, furnished with verifiable facts and figures and structured clearly with heading tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.).—
Vaibhav Kakkar,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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The money furnished lavish lifestyles for call center operators.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Our adobe house was equipped with nothing but electricity—no plumbing, no running water—so a fair amount of physical labor was necessary to get through each day.—
Vivian Gornick,
New Yorker,
16 Aug. 2025
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The school’s library has a podcasting area equipped with microphones.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The suspects, including one who was armed with an AR-style rifle, attempted to access the truck but were unable to due to the vehicle's security locking system, according to the station.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
14 Aug. 2025
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But around midnight on Aug. 3, a 41-year-old Maryland man named Kevin Moses Walker broke into the home of Holly and Michael Hatcher, 62 and 65, armed with a knife.—
Michael Ruiz,
FOXNews.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Altogether, 467 Wisconsin schools that educate more than 80% of the state's high school juniors are signed up this year.—
Kelly Meyerhofer,
jsonline.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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That her book and advocacy can educate and, over time, effect change.—
Danielle Bacher,
People.com,
6 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Warm (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/warm%20%28up%29. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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