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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Information about the Prime Visa has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
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Trump has signed executive orders to reduce housing regulatory burdens and help smaller banks provide mortgages.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 May 2026
Noun
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The California Classic, a July prelude to the more expansive Las Vegas NBA Summer League, has released a schedule that will have a version of the Heat back on the court on July 3.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
30 Apr. 2026
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Their heartfelt hospitality is a prelude to the deeply personal food and drinks to come.—
Louisa Kung Liu Chu,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 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
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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
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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
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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
Verb
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Marie Flanigan Interiors furnished this outdoor space with modern oversized seating for a comfortable and inviting feel.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
29 Apr. 2026
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New groups participating this year included the Lifelong Learning Institute from Waubonsie Community College and the SAYv Animal organization as well as Furnish Forward, a not-for-profit that collects furniture and provides it to people who can’t afford to furnish their homes.—
David Sharos,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But MetroCard and cash payments were unverifiable for the teams, which are equipped with handheld readers that can ascertain whether an OMNY card, bank card or smartphone has recently been used to pay a fare.—
Evan Simko-Bednarski,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
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To make the discovery, NASA Perseverance relied on its SuperCam instrument — a sophisticated system equipped with two lasers and cameras.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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The recent enlistment by the country's queen and her eldest daughter as reservists look to be helping, with authorities now scrambling to arm and train new recruits.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
29 Apr. 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 4 May. 2026.
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