1
as in precursor
one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another
the return of the swallows is traditionally regarded as a forerunner of spring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in ancestor
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
enjoyed the demonstration of the simple hand loom that was the forerunner of today's computer-controlled looms
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forerunner
Another forerunner of today’s scene is Ansedonia, a hillside community of upscale homes near Capalbio that in the 1960s became popular with creative types from the Italian capital.
—
Lee Marshall, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2025
The forerunner of today’s sleek MacBook laptops was the PowerBook.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 11 June 2025
Frederick Ashton’s for the Sadler’s Wells Ballet (the forerunner of the Royal Ballet) in 1952, with a resplendent Margot Fonteyn in the title role, put the ballet back into the mainstream repertory, though it wasn’t performed by the Royal from the mid-1960s to 2004.
—Roslyn Sulcas, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Military training was also a non-starter, since the U.S. Army Air Service (a forerunner to the Air Force) did not accept women.
—Victor Luckerson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for forerunner
Lee Marshall, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2025
The forerunner of today’s sleek MacBook laptops was the PowerBook.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 11 June 2025
Frederick Ashton’s for the Sadler’s Wells Ballet (the forerunner of the Royal Ballet) in 1952, with a resplendent Margot Fonteyn in the title role, put the ballet back into the mainstream repertory, though it wasn’t performed by the Royal from the mid-1960s to 2004.
—Roslyn Sulcas, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Military training was also a non-starter, since the U.S. Army Air Service (a forerunner to the Air Force) did not accept women.
—Victor Luckerson, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for forerunner
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forerunner
Noun
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Chinese authorities have since controlled a number of these precursor chemicals.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
12 July 2025
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As a precursor of sorts for CBS stalwart Survivor (which returns for its 49th edition on September 24), Big Brother is the perfect reality appetizer before the ultimate main course.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Noun
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Such cooperative behavior to defend from predators like raptors may have first evolved in our ancestors.—
Joshua Rapp Learn,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 July 2025
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The fifth-generation Southerner said removing the monument would be a betrayal to the memory of his ancestors and other soldiers.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
13 July 2025
Noun
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The result served as a harbinger to motion picture studios to avoid anime big screen adaptation.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
27 June 2025
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But some of the museum’s fans saw their sudden disappearance as a harbinger of worse things to come.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
23 June 2025
Noun
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To do so, Nemo audaciously steals a prototype submarine from the penal colony in which he is imprisoned, escaping into the ocean with a motley crew of fellow prisoners.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
8 July 2025
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Try generating your own wireframe or high-fidelity prototype.—
Shyam Ravindranathan,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
Noun
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Together, the quartet battled Julian McMahon Doctor Victor von Doom before reuniting for the sequel, 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, which introduced Doug Jones as the Silver Surfer, the cosmic herald of the world-devouring space god Galactus.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
3 July 2025
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Once again the plot bent toward total transformations of the Republic, accompanied by the thrilling heralds of Trump’s imminent downfall.—
Matthew Karp,
Harper's Magazine,
28 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Schneider highlighted that early signs of AI use cases — such as driving corporate headcount reductions and greater sales — have emerged and created a path towards reinvestment into future growth.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
10 July 2025
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Isaacman is a friend of Elon Musk, and the move was seen as the first sign of the rift between Trump and Musk that widened as the two men publicly feuded over a sweeping tax and spending package central to Trump’s second term agenda.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
10 July 2025
Noun
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The shepherds were visited by an angel and guided to the infant king.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
11 July 2025
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Showrunner Tony Tost was truly an angel, and everyone on board were such freak-ass nerds about TV and cinema, and were so excited to share all these reference points with me, like Colombo.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Forerunner.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forerunner. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
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