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
Macy’s employees can still march in the parade, just like their predecessors did nearly 100 years ago.
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Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 28 Nov. 2024
The 12th-generation model (8/10, WIRED Recommends) comes with a larger display (7 inches instead of 6.8), the highest contrast ratio on any Kindle (for sharp text and images), and three months of battery life (an increase from two months on its predecessor).
—Simon Hill, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2024
But López Obrador, a nationalist and folksy populist, railed against the violence set off by the drug war waged by his predecessors and the Americans.
—Rebecca Santana, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2024
Despite their rhetoric, Trump's predecessors within the Republican Party put forward some policies that resembled his proposals this week.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for predecessor 
Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 28 Nov. 2024
The 12th-generation model (8/10, WIRED Recommends) comes with a larger display (7 inches instead of 6.8), the highest contrast ratio on any Kindle (for sharp text and images), and three months of battery life (an increase from two months on its predecessor).
—Simon Hill, WIRED, 28 Nov. 2024
But López Obrador, a nationalist and folksy populist, railed against the violence set off by the drug war waged by his predecessors and the Americans.
—Rebecca Santana, Fortune, 27 Nov. 2024
Despite their rhetoric, Trump's predecessors within the Republican Party put forward some policies that resembled his proposals this week.
—Max Zahn, ABC News, 27 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for predecessor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predecessor
Noun
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These projects breathed new life into the U.S. conservation movement, the forerunner of today’s climate activism.Pavlina R. Tcherneva, Foreign Affairs, 22 July 2020
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Embrace change, become a forerunner and refuse to let emotional interference deter productivity.Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 28 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Vallée de Farney is a nature preserve located in the untouched forests of Mauritius—where the founder’s ancestor was exiled during the French Revolution.Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 4 Dec. 2024
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Eisenberg wanted to convey the irony of yearning to connect with your ancestors’ pain while being unwilling to experience — or even confront — any discomfort while doing so.Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 3 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Most of the fentanyl entering the U.S. is produced by Mexican drug cartels in clandestine labs using precursor chemicals smuggled from Asia, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2024
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As head of the DEA, Chronister would be expected to play a key role in that effort, overseeing efforts to interdict drugs from Mexico and fentanyl precursor chemicals from China.Josh Meyer, USA TODAY, 1 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near predecessor
Cite this Entry
“Predecessor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predecessor. Accessed 18 Dec. 2024.
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