as in prelude
a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event
the parade down Main Street served as the overture for a weekend of fun and festivities
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Recent Examples of overture
And while Zelensky’s overtures have helped repair U.S. relations that ruptured in the fallout, the minerals deal is currently stalled.
—
Laura Kelly, The Hill, 19 Mar. 2025
He's also made repeat overtures to Moscow and suspended most U.S. foreign aid.
—TIME, 19 Mar. 2025
His overtures have been rebuffed over the years, but his efforts continue.
—George Petras, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025
So far, though, Biden’s overtures have fallen flat, NBC News reported.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overture
Laura Kelly, The Hill, 19 Mar. 2025
He's also made repeat overtures to Moscow and suspended most U.S. foreign aid.
—TIME, 19 Mar. 2025
His overtures have been rebuffed over the years, but his efforts continue.
—George Petras, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025
So far, though, Biden’s overtures have fallen flat, NBC News reported.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for overture
Cite this Entry
“Overture.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/overture. Accessed 20 Apr. 2025.
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