as in forerunner
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
the once-ubiquitous typewriter was the predecessor of today's electronic keyboard
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Recent Examples of predecessor
The first trailer just dropped and the film looks as grimly compelling as its predecessor, while hopefully also retaining something of the 2025 film's heart.
—
Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 3 Sep. 2025
This is mainly a function of its lengthening and widening by three inches and one inch, respectively, over its predecessor.
—Brett Berk, Robb Report, 3 Sep. 2025
This show, like its predecessor, is framed as a mockumentary, and the unseen camera crew that documents Ned’s tenure is revealed to be the same one that filmed the previous series.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
Like its Bostonian predecessor, however, the arbres de la liberté were soon considered a threat and subsequently felled.
—Ellen Walker, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for predecessor
Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 3 Sep. 2025
This is mainly a function of its lengthening and widening by three inches and one inch, respectively, over its predecessor.
—Brett Berk, Robb Report, 3 Sep. 2025
This show, like its predecessor, is framed as a mockumentary, and the unseen camera crew that documents Ned’s tenure is revealed to be the same one that filmed the previous series.
—Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
Like its Bostonian predecessor, however, the arbres de la liberté were soon considered a threat and subsequently felled.
—Ellen Walker, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for predecessor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predecessor
Noun
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The reactor is the forerunner to the Aalo Pod, a 50-megawatt modular power plant designed specifically for data centers.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Aug. 2025
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Bittler has been with Paramount (and its forerunner Viacom) for some 25 years, most recently as executive vp communications for the company’s kids and family division, including Nickelodeon, Awesomeness and kids and family series at Paramount+.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Alcohol is a big part of those rituals in terms of paying respect to your ancestors or the dead.—
Joan MacDonald,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
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But the staff at the Indian Community School were nurturing and respectful while the students learned about their ancestors' heritage.—
Frank Vaisvilas,
jsonline.com,
31 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Events once considered rare—like the 2003 Northeast blackout that hit 50 million people—are now seen as precursors of larger disruptions.—
Robert Rapier,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Armani’s foray into the food and beverage world in 1998 served as a precursor to his interior design endeavors but greatly established his design vision.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Predecessor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predecessor. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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