variants
or less commonly pre-dawn
: existing or occurring before dawn
a predawn attack
the predawn hours
… the gigantic telescope started scanning the predawn sky.—
Howard Blum
Howard Blum
predawn
noun
or less commonly pre-dawn
plural predawns also pre-dawns
The most bone-chilling predawns create the sharpest sunrises.
—Christine Schultz
Christine Schultz
… stepping out into the quiet pre-dawn, closing the door.
—Bryan Burrough
Bryan Burrough
Examples of predawn in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Torrential rains transformed the pristine Guadalupe River, unleashing roaring cascades in the predawn hours of Independence Day along 40 miles of Kerr County, claiming at least 103 lives there alone, including 36 children.
—Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 12 July 2025
The furious river waters — which rose to 26 feet in 45 minutes in the predawn hours of July Fourth — decimated Camp Mystic, an all-girls’ Christian camp that generations of young girls have gone to over its 99 years.
—Bea L. Hines, Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
Its emergence following the solar conjunction will herald its reappearance in the predawn sky, beginning the cycle anew.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 July 2025
Heavy rains from the remnant moisture from what was formerly Tropical Storm Barry fell quickly in the predawn hours of Friday in the Texas Hill Country, causing the Guadalupe River, outside of San Antonio, to rise 26 feet in just 45 minutes.
—CBS News, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for predawn
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Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 12 July 2025
The furious river waters — which rose to 26 feet in 45 minutes in the predawn hours of July Fourth — decimated Camp Mystic, an all-girls’ Christian camp that generations of young girls have gone to over its 99 years.
—Bea L. Hines, Miami Herald, 11 July 2025
Its emergence following the solar conjunction will herald its reappearance in the predawn sky, beginning the cycle anew.
—Anthony Wood, Space.com, 9 July 2025
Heavy rains from the remnant moisture from what was formerly Tropical Storm Barry fell quickly in the predawn hours of Friday in the Texas Hill Country, causing the Guadalupe River, outside of San Antonio, to rise 26 feet in just 45 minutes.
—CBS News, 7 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for predawn
Cite this Entry
“Predawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predawn. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
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