1
as in forerunner
one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another
18th-century lyric poets like Robert Burns were precursors of the Romantics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in ancestor
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
a precursor of the modern eggplant
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of precursor
The cyclic drying would allow the chemical precursors to build into more complex molecules.
—
Ars Technica, 14 Mar. 2025
For example, tryptophan is precursor to serotonin, the body’s feel-good chemical.
—Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 14 Mar. 2025
For many years, China has been the largest source of both legal supplies of the drug – which is prescribed for severe pain relief – and illicit supplies of precursor chemicals that are typically processed in labs in Mexico before the final product is smuggled across the US border.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
This concoction of shredded beef in tomato sauce is believed by some to be a precursor to the American Sloppy Joe.
—Matt Rozo, The Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precursor
Ars Technica, 14 Mar. 2025
For example, tryptophan is precursor to serotonin, the body’s feel-good chemical.
—Fiona Embleton, Glamour, 14 Mar. 2025
For many years, China has been the largest source of both legal supplies of the drug – which is prescribed for severe pain relief – and illicit supplies of precursor chemicals that are typically processed in labs in Mexico before the final product is smuggled across the US border.
—Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 28 Mar. 2025
This concoction of shredded beef in tomato sauce is believed by some to be a precursor to the American Sloppy Joe.
—Matt Rozo, The Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for precursor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precursor
Noun
-
Yet this brand of Christian Zionism is clearly the forerunner to today’s – and holds sway in Washington.—
Shalom Goldman,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2025
-
The title is an apt, if sort of obvious, introduction to Turner, who has been hailed as the forerunner to modern art.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Until recently, the ancestors of insects were thought to be more millipede-like and evolved once invertebrates began to live on land.—
Riley Black,
Smithsonian Magazine,
9 Apr. 2025
-
During the Pleistocene, our ancestors lived through several different ice ages.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
An eight-game losing streak in the first month of 2022 was a harbinger of what was in store for Tony La Russa’s final season as Sox manager.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Apr. 2025
-
From Chipper Jones in 1999 to Edwin Encarnación in 2013, Dotel was a harbinger of what pitching has become.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
What to know to recognize the symptoms How to get rid of acid reflux In most cases, acid reflux can actually be eradicated for good.—
Hannah Yasharoff,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
They can also be used when investigating symptoms relating to the heart or the other internal organs, or to take a closer look at bones and joints.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The authors of the Yale study sincerely see themselves as heralds of empirical science, whatever the political ramifications.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2025
-
This sleek argent-toned agent was once Norrin Radd, a historian from the planet Zenn-La who signed up to be Galactus’ herald to spare his homeworld from an unthinkable fate.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
In 2023 researchers led by Nikku Madhusudhan, an astrophysicist at the University of Cambridge, announced the first signs of dimethyl sulfide in K2-18 b’s atmosphere.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
17 Apr. 2025
-
And by monitoring her behavior for any signs of complications.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Instead of encountering the risen Lord, these women see two angels.—
Eliza Griswold,
New Yorker,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Bruno Ganz, in an unforgettable performance, plays an angel who can hear the thoughts of the denizens of Berlin and decides to give up his immortality to join them.—
Brian Tallerico,
Vulture,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Precursor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precursor. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share