as in preparatory
coming before the main part or item usually to introduce or prepare for what follows
we need to do some preliminary research in order to properly focus the experiment
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in prelude
a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event
a meeting to discuss seating arrangements that was merely a preliminary to the formal negotiating sessions
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Recent Examples of preliminary
Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Homicides across the United States are poised to plummet for the third straight year as 2024 winds down, driving the nation's annual murder toll down to levels not seen since before the pandemic, according to preliminary data from cities both large and small.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 31 Dec. 2024
Paul McCardell, Baltimore Sun, 26 July 2024
On the national level, the competition is in four phases: preliminaries, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.
—Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 28 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for preliminary 
Adjective
According to preliminary figures from CAL FIRE, the Palisades fire, which has destroyed over 5,300 structures, is now the third-most destructive in state history.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Homicides across the United States are poised to plummet for the third straight year as 2024 winds down, driving the nation's annual murder toll down to levels not seen since before the pandemic, according to preliminary data from cities both large and small.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 31 Dec. 2024
Noun
Born in Baltimore and a graduate of Mount St. Joseph High School, swimmer Tommy Hannan won gold as a swimmer in the preliminaries of the Sydney 2000 400 medley relay, which was won by teammates swimming in the finals.
—Paul McCardell, Baltimore Sun, 26 July 2024
On the national level, the competition is in four phases: preliminaries, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.
—Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 28 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for preliminary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preliminary
Adjective
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The ultimate sources of that water — three tanks each with a capacity of roughly 1 million gallons — were filled as a preparatory measure before the fires broke out, city authorities say.Niall Stanage, The Hill, 9 Jan. 2025
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Among Muslim countries, Qatar makes sense on a logistical level because that is where all the preparatory work took place, including the brainstorming sessions that generated the office idea and the early meetings with the Taliban's leadership envoy.Michael Semple, Foreign Affairs, 9 Jan. 2012
Noun
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Irsay has yet to speak on the matter, and if the past is a prelude, that usually means change is coming.Zak Keefer, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025
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If the past is prelude, in 2025 many individual investors will trade options heavily.Hersh Shefrin, Forbes, 31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Each tour — available in English, Spanish and French — starts with a short introductory film about Warner Bros.' centurylong history.Michael Salerno, The Arizona Republic, 26 Dec. 2024
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In practice, this has led Magon to get a lot more specific with clients in her introductory questionnaire.Rachel Davies, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near preliminary
Cite this Entry
“Preliminary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preliminary. Accessed 17 Jan. 2025.
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