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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Saturn and Mercury will be lost in the solar glare; both planets will become more visible in the predawn sky in the coming weeks and months. Closer to the equator, sunsets are actually earlier, because the day lengths are closer to 12 hours and equatorial countries don't use daylight savings. Jesse Emspak, Space.com, 26 Mar. 2025 Punta Cana, Dominican Republic CNN — Beneath a predawn sky, adorned with shimmering stars and clouds lazily floating past the moon, Sudiksha Konanki stepped into the warm, inviting waters of the Caribbean Sea. Alaa Elassar, CNN, 24 Mar. 2025 Despite widespread destruction, a predawn EF1 tornado on St. Patrick's Day in North Carolina caused injuries but no fatalities. Hannah Parry, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025 Advertisement All seven main engines fired at liftoff as the rocket blazed through the predawn sky to the delight of spectators lining nearby beaches. Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 16 Jan. 2025 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

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Cite this Entry

“Predawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predawn. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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