as in preludes
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-ups
His only side money until that weekend was a one-year deal with Pony, which provided warm-ups and his size-8 shoes.
—
Kevin Sherrington
feb. 10, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
During her on-court warm-ups, Osaka donned a zip-up jacket with organic, wavy tendrils hanging from the sleeves.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 20 Jan. 2026
Konsta Helenius took warm-ups on Saturday but didn’t make his NHL debut.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
Forward John Collins was a late scratch after experiencing soreness in his groin area during pregame warm-ups.
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 15 Jan. 2026
Morning workouts may boost mood, sleep, blood pressure, and weight loss but require warm-ups and adequate fueling.
—Health Editorial Team, Health, 9 Jan. 2026
During early warm-ups for the Broncos-Chargers game, Dobbins spent over 30 minutes catching up with former Los Angeles teammates and coaches, darting over to the stands to sign a few autographs.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2026
To avoid injury, weekend exercisers should prioritize proper warm-ups and allow for adequate recovery time between workouts.
—Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 Oct. 2025
Right, an Indianapolis Colts player is seen in a file photo during warm-ups before the NFL game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Jacksonville, Florida, on October 6, 2024.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Kevin Sherrington
feb. 10, Dallas Morning News, 10 Feb. 2026
During her on-court warm-ups, Osaka donned a zip-up jacket with organic, wavy tendrils hanging from the sleeves.
—Julia Teti, Footwear News, 20 Jan. 2026
Konsta Helenius took warm-ups on Saturday but didn’t make his NHL debut.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 17 Jan. 2026
Forward John Collins was a late scratch after experiencing soreness in his groin area during pregame warm-ups.
—Janis Carr, Oc Register, 15 Jan. 2026
Morning workouts may boost mood, sleep, blood pressure, and weight loss but require warm-ups and adequate fueling.
—Health Editorial Team, Health, 9 Jan. 2026
During early warm-ups for the Broncos-Chargers game, Dobbins spent over 30 minutes catching up with former Los Angeles teammates and coaches, darting over to the stands to sign a few autographs.
—Luca Evans, Denver Post, 4 Jan. 2026
To avoid injury, weekend exercisers should prioritize proper warm-ups and allow for adequate recovery time between workouts.
—Bryant Stamford, Louisville Courier Journal, 30 Oct. 2025
Right, an Indianapolis Colts player is seen in a file photo during warm-ups before the NFL game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Jacksonville, Florida, on October 6, 2024.
—Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for warm-ups
preliminaries
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
-
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
Cite this Entry
“Warm-ups.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/warm-ups. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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