1
as in precursors
one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another
the return of the swallows is traditionally regarded as a forerunner of spring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in ancestors
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
enjoyed the demonstration of the simple hand loom that was the forerunner of today's computer-controlled looms
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forerunners
Noun
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And the precursors for that reality may already be in motion, Metzger noted.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025 -
While every relationship faces challenges, certain patterns consistently appear as precursors to deeper dysfunction.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The findings suggest that alcohol is a regular part of a chimpanzee’s diet and may have been a part of our human ancestors’ diets.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Sep. 2025
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Scientists are similarly investigating endophytes of ancient wheat varieties, which, like corn’s ancestors, are more disease-resistant than modern varieties.—
Anna Marija Helt,
JSTOR Daily,
17 Sep. 2025
Noun
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One of the most worrisome harbingers of future affordability is that Florida added more than 700,000 units with gross rents higher than $1,200 monthly between 2012 and 2022.—
Jeffrey Steele,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
With all of the appeal of a hiking boot in a smaller, lighter form factor, these Danner Trail 2650s pay homage to their beefier boot predecessors, just with some additional modern touches.—
Alice Bennett,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Sep. 2025
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On the other hand, the new iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models have a camera island that stretches across the entire top, back side of the phone as well as a new unibody frame that makes the phones feel both more robust and larger than their predecessors.—
Bob O’Donnell,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Pic heralds from Deadpool and John Wick director David Leitch and Bullet Train producer Kelly McCormick’s 87North, and Bill Bindley and Mike Karz’s Gulfstream Pictures (Upgraded), which financed the movie.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
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Thy Kingdom Come’s entrance heralds 10 total appearances for the album’s tracks on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.—
Trevor Anderson,
Billboard,
14 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Only two prototypes were ever made before IAI's investors, considering the company risky after the Cat's market failure and little money coming in, finally pulled the plug and caused the company to shut down in 1992.—
Cameron Kaiser,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
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The analytics community has since poured gasoline on these prototypes, helping teams create blueprints for their scheme based on size and measureables.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Norway’s princess, Märtha Louise, claims to be a clairvoyant who can communicate with angels.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
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But that money only flows to founders who know how to approach angels right.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Churchill Downs outriders, jockey agents, jockeys Florent Geroux and Julian Leperoux, as well as members of Lukas' barn staff also sat in the crowd.—
Stephanie Kuzydym,
Louisville Courier Journal,
19 Aug. 2025
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By contrast, during a recent visit to the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, in July, the king's convoy included four cars and three police motorcycle outriders.—
Jack Royston,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Forerunners.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forerunners. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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