predawn

adjective

pre·​dawn ˌprē-ˈdȯn How to pronounce predawn (audio)
-ˈdän
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
predawn noun
or less commonly pre-dawn
plural predawns also pre-dawns
The most bone-chilling predawns create the sharpest sunrises. Christine Schultz
… stepping out into the quiet pre-dawn, closing the door. Bryan Burrough

Examples of predawn in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Bannon is set to leave the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, in the predawn hours and hold a news conference later in the day in Manhattan, his representatives said. Samuel Burke, Fortune, 29 Oct. 2024 During the predawn magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake of 1994, 16 people died when their apartments collapsed. Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2024 Dole made four stops in Arizona that cycle, including a predawn visit to a Phoenix diner the day before the election as part of a cross-county blitz. Ronald J. Hansen, The Arizona Republic, 26 Sep. 2024 Martin’s bloodied body was discovered lying in a nearby street in the predawn hours. Faith Karimi, CNN, 15 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for predawn 

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of predawn was in 1883

Dictionary Entries Near predawn

Cite this Entry

“Predawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predawn. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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