as in introduction
a short section (as of a book) that leads to or explains the main part
a noted critic has written a short preface to her story to explain some of the historical background
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Recent Examples of preface
Writing on the seventieth anniversary of the war’s end, in the preface to his magisterial The German War (2015), Oxford’s Nicholas Stargardt described the book’s genesis a decade earlier, in 2005.
—
Chris Doyle, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2025
As for Dickinson, his starring roles in Babygirl, The Iron Claw, and Triangle of Sadness preface his take on John Lennon.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 1 Apr. 2025
Injuries weren’t the Lions’ only problem Let’s preface this section by acknowledging that the Lions’ defense was decimated by injuries before the game and then lost starting corner Amik Robertson early in the contest.
—Ted Nguyen, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
To preface, the Dodgers don't need to trade Lux.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 5 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preface
Chris Doyle, Hartford Courant, 2 Apr. 2025
As for Dickinson, his starring roles in Babygirl, The Iron Claw, and Triangle of Sadness preface his take on John Lennon.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 1 Apr. 2025
Injuries weren’t the Lions’ only problem Let’s preface this section by acknowledging that the Lions’ defense was decimated by injuries before the game and then lost starting corner Amik Robertson early in the contest.
—Ted Nguyen, The Athletic, 21 Jan. 2025
To preface, the Dodgers don't need to trade Lux.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 5 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for preface
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preface
Noun
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Afterward, Tasha Smith presented the award to Jackson with a heartfelt introduction.—
Ilana Kaplan,
People.com,
27 May 2025
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This revival complements other recent enhancements to Seattle’s air connectivity, such as Alaska Airlines’ introduction of nonstop flights from Seattle–Tacoma International Airport to Tokyo Narita and Seoul Incheon.—
Bailey Berg,
AFAR Media,
27 May 2025
Noun
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Nirvana’s Krist Novoselic wrote the foreword, while Van Morrison, Alice Cooper, Patti Smith and others join members of the Doors’ camp in offering commentary throughout the book.—
Gary Graff,
Billboard,
14 May 2025
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In his gorgeous first book penned by his partner Tim Johnson with a glowing foreword by Martha Stewart, readers get to revel in the thoughtful beauty of Fernando’s gardens.—
Blue Carreon,
Forbes,
11 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Preface.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preface. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.
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