1
as in forerunner
one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another
18th-century lyric poets like Robert Burns were precursors of the Romantics
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in ancestor
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
a precursor of the modern eggplant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of precursor
This is actually reminiscent of the debacle caused by granting home loans to marginally qualified buyers, which was a precursor to the Great Recession.
—
Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2025
The notice is usually the precursor to a lawsuit filed against a local government.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025
The claims, a precursor to potential lawsuits, accuse the county of negligence in designing and maintaining the road, among other allegations.
—Cameron MacDonald, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
Research into ancient and Indigenous traditions about nature can turn up precursors of modern scientific discoveries and theories.
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precursor
Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Oct. 2025
The notice is usually the precursor to a lawsuit filed against a local government.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 23 Oct. 2025
The claims, a precursor to potential lawsuits, accuse the county of negligence in designing and maintaining the road, among other allegations.
—Cameron MacDonald, Mercury News, 23 Oct. 2025
Research into ancient and Indigenous traditions about nature can turn up precursors of modern scientific discoveries and theories.
—Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precursor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precursor
Noun
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The investor and industrialist Andrew Mellon enjoyed a lengthy tenure as Treasury secretary—a forerunner to Trump’s Treasury appointees, Steven Mnuchin and Scott Bessent, both of them recruited straight from Wall Street.—
Evan Hughes,
The Atlantic,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Half of those tested had osteoporosis or a forerunner condition, osteopenia.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The ancestors were taken from the Riverside Cemetery site near the Menominee River in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula between 1961 and 1963 during a joint excavation led by anthropologists Robert Retzenthaler for the Milwaukee Public Museum and Robert Hrushka for the Oshkosh Public Museum.—
Frank Vaisvilas,
jsonline.com,
27 Oct. 2025
-
Furthermore, the analyses consistently position the new species as an ancestor of the entire dyrosaurid group.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Another harbinger is that the annual ski movies are coming soon to a theater or brewpub near you.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
22 Oct. 2025
-
These could be harbingers of bigger things to come.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Wells, who doesn’t feel symptoms when his blood sugar spikes or crashes, relies entirely on his CGM alarms to stay safe.—
Amanda Castro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 Oct. 2025
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The types of care proposed for the campus on Rosecrans attempt to ensure that there is a smooth ramp of services capable of intersecting with a wide range of symptom severity, from moderate anxiety to suicidal ideation.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The indie feature heralds from Benacus Entertainment and RNF Productions.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
14 Oct. 2025
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Marie, Andre, Jordan, and Emma put down the supe uprising, but then psychotic fascist Homelander showed up to condemn them as villains and herald the murderous Cate and Sam as top students and potential recruits for the thoroughly corrupt Seven.—
EW Staff,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Stephens said there were signs of a struggle, and Thomas' body had been dragged about 180 feet into the woods.—
Bill Bowden,
Arkansas Online,
24 Oct. 2025
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Perri told him that was a sign of his brain rewiring.—
Rustin Dodd,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Reina has made 74 angel investments over the past eight years, including Revolut, Volumetric, Elroy Air, and Speckle.—
Sawdah Bhaimiya,
CNBC,
25 Oct. 2025
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To complete your angel costume, wear a white dress and some sparkly makeup.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Precursor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precursor. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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