1
as in ancient
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period
early birds of the Jurassic period
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unexpected
occurring before the usual or expected time
we had an early dinner so as not to miss the concert
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in immediately
before the usual or expected time
that year spring arrived early
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of early
The Deadline Team, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
In March, Cravalho traveled to Austin, Texas, for an early look at the documentary during SXSW.
—Cat Cardenas, Variety, 10 Apr. 2025
Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Smith usually shows his men’s collections in Paris, and earlier this year opted for a salon-style show at his showroom in the French capital.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for early
Adjective
Kilmer scored perhaps his signature role in the early 1990s, playing rock legend Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s biopic The Doors.
—The Deadline Team, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2025
In March, Cravalho traveled to Austin, Texas, for an early look at the documentary during SXSW.
—Cat Cardenas, Variety, 10 Apr. 2025
Adverb
In 2023-24, the proportion of first-time undergraduate degree completers who earned a certificate was about 1 in 7 (15.4%), compared to 1 in 9 (11.3%), a decade earlier in 2014-15.
—Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Smith usually shows his men’s collections in Paris, and earlier this year opted for a salon-style show at his showroom in the French capital.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 10 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for early
Recent Examples of Synonyms for early
Adjective
-
The museum has a world-class collection, including works by iconic artists like da Vinci, Monet, and Van Gogh, alongside ancient artifacts.—
Susmita Baral,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Leland presented European material as the survival of an ancient pagan cult—moreover, a paganism that had been demonized by Christianity.—
Angelica Frey,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Aaron Rodgers clearly enjoys holding the NFL hostage: The NFL’s lamest offseason storyline had a new – but not unexpected – twist Thursday when Aaron Rodgers had thoughts on the New York Jets and new head coach Aaron Glenn.—
Jim Reineking,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Friends are stunned when unexpected companions join them on safari.—
FOXNews.com,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
China is under pressure to negotiate a deal whether the tariffs take effect immediately or in three months, Ackman said in a post on X.—
John Bacon,
USA Today,
15 Apr. 2025
-
These models are not immediately replacing user-facing interfaces like ChatGPT but are positioned as tools for developers building applications and services.—
Janakiram MSV,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Houde said these mammoth animals are a primitive group of proboscideans ('elephantoids') from which modern elephants evolved.—
Joseph J. Kolb,
Fox News,
18 July 2017
-
Many are primitive and remote, and don’t have restrooms or water.—
OregonLive.com,
OregonLive.com,
12 July 2017
Adjective
-
Trying to draw parallels between him and a future Hall of Famer and two-time MVP is premature, absurd and unfair.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Other studies have shown that social isolation increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia and premature death.—
Gail Matillo,
Sun Sentinel,
13 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Part of what makes America beautiful is its special creatures like the prehistoric-looking Mojave desert tortoise, whose survival in Nevada is more dire since a federal grant awarded to protect it from being run over by cars is among the frozen grants.—
Noël Fletcher,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
-
Yet, no evidence of cooking or consumption has been found—unlike some other prehistoric sites where frog bones bear cut marks or signs of burning.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Several conditions may cause sudden vision loss, such as an eye injury.—
Heidi Cope,
Health,
19 Apr. 2025
-
All of a sudden, something that was a huge source of joy in my grandparents’ life became a challenge.—
Katie Akin,
Southern Living,
18 Apr. 2025
Adverb
-
If the government doesn't reimburse them promptly, the inspectors worry about having to pay the steep bills themselves.—
Sydney Lupkin,
NPR,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Several lawsuits claimed the drugstore chain failed to protect its customers and did not notify them of the incident promptly.—
Ryley Amond,
CNBC,
18 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Early.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/early. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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