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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of warm (up)
Matt Gelb, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
After a short warm-up hike, guests will take part in an all-levels yoga session.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Now, some critics and supporters of the agency suggest that last year’s flirtations with environmental deregulation were just a warm-up act to what’s happening this year.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
Jason also hammed it up on Wednesday as golfer Akshay Bhatia's caddie for the annual Par 3 Contest, a warm-up ahead of the main tournament that often features the golfers' families serving as caddies and taking shots.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for warm (up)
Noun
This is the place where a Phillies manager (Gabe Kapler) once summoned a reliever (Hoby Milner) who had yet to throw a warm-up pitch.
—Matt Gelb, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026
After a short warm-up hike, guests will take part in an all-levels yoga session.
—Jaclyn Cosgrove, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Now, some critics and supporters of the agency suggest that last year’s flirtations with environmental deregulation were just a warm-up act to what’s happening this year.
—Andre Mouchard, Oc Register, 19 Apr. 2026
Jason also hammed it up on Wednesday as golfer Akshay Bhatia's caddie for the annual Par 3 Contest, a warm-up ahead of the main tournament that often features the golfers' families serving as caddies and taking shots.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for warm (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for warm (up)
Verb
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The full closure is required to safely accommodate heavy equipment operations, provide adequate workspace for crews, and protect motorists.—
Irene Wright,
USA Today,
9 May 2026
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Some are backing away from exclusionary discipline like suspensions and expulsions and have embraced schoolwide approaches that reward positive behavior and provide social skills practice through games and role-playing.—
Stacker,
Hartford Courant,
9 May 2026
Noun
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The race is a prelude to the Preakness, featuring 3-year-old fillies (female race horses).—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
8 May 2026
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But the June ballot isn’t just a prelude to November — some races will be decided with it.—
Abby Hamblin,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 May 2026
Verb
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The storefront, which opened in 1852, supplied early miners with dynamite and Studebaker wheelbarrows.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The analyst views Marvell as a major beneficiary of the Amazon-Anthropic agreement, given that the company supplies Trainium application-specific integrated circuits, Ethernet switches, data processing units, and optical digital signal processors to AWS.—
TipRanks.com Staff,
CNBC,
3 May 2026
Noun
-
Burke's preliminary is scheduled to begin May 26.—
Christine Pelisek,
PEOPLE,
30 Apr. 2026
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Tickets to the mixed archery preliminary set me back $110 each, then $85 each for the mixed equestrian preliminary.—
Personal Finance Columnist,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Ideal for studio apartments and small spaces, this Murphy bed pulls double duty, furnishing your living room while adding a place for guests to stay in the process.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
5 May 2026
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These are two examples of valuable work product the controller can furnish that fall outside the scope of a traditional departmental audit.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
4 May 2026
Verb
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This insight, combined with empathy and analytical thinking, equips me to craft policies that create opportunities, guide better decisions and close loopholes for abuse.—
Kaitlyn Schallhorn,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
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While that will equip just a fraction of the roughly 2,400-person police force, the city is prioritizing officers who work in tourist-heavy zones and near the ports of entry.—
Alexandra Mendoza,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 May 2026
Verb
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That, combined with his understandable nervousness, caused him to short-arm his first fastball, which sailed at Cey’s head, sending him sprawling into the dirt.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 May 2026
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Any attempt to arm Iranian Kurdish groups would need support from the Iraqi Kurds to let the weapons transit and use Iraqi Kurdistan as launching ground.—
Kevin Liptak,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
Verb
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Terracycle, a recycling company with a major distribution center in Aurora, will also be on-site to educate the community about waste diversion and creating a zero-carbon footprint, according to the news release.—
Aurora Beacon-News,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
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At the heart of this is also the aim to create an ecosystem for young filmmakers – one that empowers and educates them on the importance of marketing and distribution so that great stories don’t just get made, but truly reach audiences.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Warm (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/warm%20%28up%29. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
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