1
as in prologue
a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event
an eruption of sectarian violence that proved to be the prelude to all-out civil war
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in introduction
a short section (as of a book) that leads to or explains the main part
the musical had a brief prelude to get the audience in the proper mood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prelude
Neither side wants war and both sides appear to treat this as a prelude to negotiations.
—
Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
At the Grand Slam, the women’s final is always on a Saturday, serving as a prelude to the men’s final on a Sunday.
—Gavriella Epstein-Lightman, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
New rules from the U.S. government mean library officials must as of Monday limit access via the Canadian side to staff and people with disabilities, as a prelude to closing it off entirely later this year, library officials told USA TODAY.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
The evening was also a celebration of the Port Arthur native’s birthday, a prelude of festivity to an already momentous rodeo season.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prelude
Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025
At the Grand Slam, the women’s final is always on a Saturday, serving as a prelude to the men’s final on a Sunday.
—Gavriella Epstein-Lightman, Chicago Tribune, 21 Mar. 2025
New rules from the U.S. government mean library officials must as of Monday limit access via the Canadian side to staff and people with disabilities, as a prelude to closing it off entirely later this year, library officials told USA TODAY.
—Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2025
The evening was also a celebration of the Port Arthur native’s birthday, a prelude of festivity to an already momentous rodeo season.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 17 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prelude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prelude
Noun
-
If past is prologue, those folks will be paying their fair share somewhere else.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
31 Mar. 2025
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Read on for an exclusive excerpt from the prologue of The Secret Book Society. London, England June 1895 Clara Chambers, the Countess of Duxbury, entered her drawing room and considered the urchin who’d demanded to be seen at once.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
14 Mar. 2025
Noun
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And the matchup was only the fifth collegiate game of freshman center Kate Koval’s career, offering her a bruising introduction to playing post against an elite NCAA opponent.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Mar. 2025
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Kings guard Malik Monk was listed as a starter and then announced as part of the starting lineup during pregame introductions Thursday at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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While the diving kicked off Thursday, the swimming gets underway with preliminaries on Friday, with the finals for both swimming and diving slated for Saturday.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2025
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Her six-game outburst in the state preliminaries screamed of consistency, with no score lower than 217 and none higher than 269.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2025
Noun
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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
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Recommended Stories The 2028 Democratic presidential field begins to take shape at a low point for the party Embarrassing displays of media blindness Trump tariffs: Bargaining tool or preface to a global trade war? And purposeful.—
Jay Cost,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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At least one company seems to have made overtures to parents via a pediatrics organization: Vicks ZzzQuil, a popular line of children’s melatonin products, sponsored a 2020 webinar on sleep hosted by the American Academy of Pediatrics.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 Apr. 2025
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Amid uncertainty around the fate of the TikTok ban, Meta is one of the major social media platforms making overtures to creators.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Mar. 2025
Noun
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From her love story with Greenfield (who also wrote the foreword) to the darkest day of her esteemed career, Sanchez found solace in being so raw and honest.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
28 Mar. 2025
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The book also includes a foreword from Grammy-winning singer Brandy and has garnered praise from bestselling author Tabitha Brown.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
3 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prelude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prelude. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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