How to Use before in a Sentence

before

1 of 2 adverb or adjective

• Jamie holds up the gold the thieves found on Mrs. Bug (Sarah Collier) the night before.
  — Lincee Ray, EW.com, 1 July 2023
• The father said the boy’s mother had placed him in the cell the day before, for about three minutes.
  — Louis Casiano, Fox News, 1 July 2023
• Goods prices, from used cars to meats, saw declines compared to the month before.
  — Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 12 July 2023
• He’s never had to rebuild a program from the ground up before.
  — J. Brady McCollough, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2023
• Her voice sounds every bit as cool and matter-of-fact as before.
  — Chris Richards, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024
• Refrigerate the day before or freeze them for up to three weeks.
  — Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 13 Dec. 2023
• After 20 years in the county, Hilleary has seen drought like this before.
  — Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2023
• She’s performed at the venue before, but rather than hit the clubs in the neighborhood, lately she’s been getting to work.
  — Olive Leatherwood, Vogue, 30 Nov. 2023
• The quote is a famous line from Frank Sinatra that the Law & Order star has shared on his socials before.
  — Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024
• Phillips' last ultrasound had been one week and three days before, and the fetus had a heartbeat then.
  — Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 14 Dec. 2023
• There’s more interest [in my life] than there was before.
  — Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2023
• Get ready to see the Italian Riviera like never before.
  — Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 13 Dec. 2023
• And after seeing it, a lick from your best friend means more than ever before.
  — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2023
• Their future is surely filled with more growth for their brand and even bigger doors to open than before.
  — Essence, 27 Oct. 2023
• Retail sales across the U.S. continued to grow in June, yet at a slower pace than before.
  — Benzinga, Detroit Free Press, 22 July 2023
• Having turned 34 the day before, Dupuy was set to be the council’s youngest member and only woman.
  — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2024
• Ana told the outlet that Lizbeth and her mother had just moved to Texas from Nebraska a year-and-a-half before.
  — Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 14 Dec. 2023
• Mayer was in Tokyo following a performance at the Blue Note there the night before.
  — Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 1 Jan. 2024
• Weeks before, the Danish queen had been the first monarch to address the pandemic on television.
  — Anders Christian Madsen, Vogue, 1 Jan. 2024
• Although my hair may appear fresh and clean, I'm left feeling like my scalp is even more grimy than before.
  — Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 16 Oct. 2023
• Netflix has overcome much worse before in the recent past.
  — Paolo Confino, Fortune, 12 Jan. 2024
• Thicker cuts will scorch before cooking all the way through, while thinner cuts of steak, pork chops, and fish filets will cook all the way through and get a little crispy.
  — Zoe Denenberg, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2023
• She’d been kicked out of the Brother Francis Shelter before, put on the 86′d list for yelling at a caseworker and getting in his face.
  — Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News, 22 July 2023
• His sister, who left the family’s extremist faith years before, shows up to try and talk him out of his plans.
  — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024
• She's gone short before, most notably at the 2023 Met Gala, where her hair was curled into an Old Hollywood style with loc roots.
  — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 25 Mar. 2024
• Its total revenue jumped 20% from a year before, more than forecast.
  — Stan Choe, Fortune, 16 Feb. 2024
• Read our layoff survival guide to get step-by-step advice on what to do before, during and after you’re let go.
  — Danielle Abril, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
• It had never before been legally restricted in the U.S.
  — Laurie Marhoefer, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Sep. 2023
• Pregame promotion is for orders placed one hour before and up to three hours after the start of each game on Mondays and Thursdays.
  — Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 29 Aug. 2023
• The machine is stronger than before, has an illuminated head and more swiveling joints, as well as a new all-electric power source.
  — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 18 Apr. 2024

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before

2 of 2 preposition

• You'll see my house just before the bank and after the school.
• Why haven't you ever helped me before now?
• The championship fight took place before a crowd of thousands.
• Your name is listed before mine.
• Call me before your arrival.
• He left just before sunrise.
• I've never seen her so happy before now.
• She arrived the day before yesterday.
• We arrived shortly before six o'clock.
• The Great Plains stretched endlessly before them.
• Click the coupon box before checking out to receive the full 69 percent off.
  — Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 4 Dec. 2023
• But the gun lobby isn’t rushing to defend the case that's now before the Supreme Court.
  — Marina Pitofsky, USA TODAY, 12 July 2023
• The Nets went 43-32 before getting swept in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
  — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2024
• The seventh-year pro played four seasons for the Rams before cashing in and signing a huge contract with the Browns in 2021.
  — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2023
• Yorke would go on to win a further two Premier Leagues with the Red Devils before leaving the club in the summer of 2002.
  — Zayn Nabbi, CNN, 2 Mar. 2024
• Turpin ran to the sideline before securing the football to take home as a souvenir.
  — Kristi Scales, Dallas News, 11 Sep. 2023
• But the world will never know what was happening before that.
  — Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 30 Aug. 2023
• Jackie laid her first egg of the season just before 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25, in Big Bear — and it was caught on camera.
  — Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 26 Jan. 2024
• Cruising round-trip from Rome, the ship calls on Naples before exploring Greece.
  — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024
• Lewis, who would go on to record four receptions for 34 yards and the score, caught the ball before the end zone and had to avoid a couple of Warhawks defenders.
  — Breven Honda, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Sep. 2023
• The year before that, a deputy was caught on a security video grabbing the backside of a teen girl at a fast-food restaurant.
  — Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2023
• Even before taking the stand, Trump pushed at those limitations as the judge and lawyers for both sides discussed what he could be asked.
  — Jake Offenhartz, Jennifer Peltz, arkansasonline.com, 26 Jan. 2024
• This was just before Napster, when anyone who wanted that song had to spend $20 for that whole soundtrack.
  — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2023
• For the best flavor, lychees shouldn't be peeled until just before eaten or served.
  — Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 July 2023
• Ahead, find 30 of the best songs about family that will have you in your feelings — so make sure to grab some tissues before giving them a spin.
  — Samantha Olson, Seventeen, 17 May 2023
• Ask her about the best primer and paint for furniture; how to properly sand before painting; and the pros and cons of spraying vs. brushing.
  — Jura Koncius, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2023
• The judge ordered the attorneys to exchange the names of their expert witness 60 days before the trial.
  — Tracy Neal, Arkansas Online, 19 June 2023
• Bland is shown putting on a ski mask, pulling out a pistol then cocking the weapon before entering the apartment where Marks, a father of five, was killed.
  — John Lynch, Arkansas Online, 1 July 2023
• The mayday call gave officials enough time to stop traffic on both sides of the bridge and try to evacuate people before the collapse, Moore said.
  — Summer Lin, Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2024
• Petersen also pointed out that the new contract expires just months before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
  — John Antczak, Fortune, 26 Mar. 2024

Last Updated: 5 Sep 2024