: existing or occurring before a game
a pregame party
the athlete's usual pregame meal/warm-up
The Bulls had finished their pregame shooting and were returning for the regular pregame meeting to go over the scouting report …—
Sam Smith
Sam Smith
pregamed; pregaming
US, informal
: to begin drinking alcohol before an event or activity (such as a party or a night out)
Her friends, all in their 20s and pregaming for a Saturday night out in the bars, nodded enthusiastically.—Dan Kois
Dan KoisOn the same principle, pregaming with a few shots before you arrive is a risky maneuver. You should be relatively sober when you present your host gift and size up the situation.—Pete Wells
Pete Wells
pregaming
noun
Pregaming … is the practice of consuming alcohol before going to a social event.
—Georgina Lawton
Georgina Lawton
… students reported higher rates of pregaming and alcohol-related blackouts than national averages.
—Tess Sohngen
Tess Sohngen
Examples of pregame in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Arkansas Online, 28 Jan. 2026
There was the pregame calf injury for defensive tackle DaQuan Jones that left the Bills short-handed against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Feb. 2026
Each year, millions of dog lovers tune in to the Puppy Bowl as a way to pregame the actual Super Bowl taking place that same Sunday, played by human athletes without tails.
—Stacia Datskovska, HollywoodReporter, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pregame
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Adjective
It's set to be a two-night gig for Clark, who plans to return to NBC in another pregame role on March 29 when the Knicks visit the Oklahoma City Thunder.
—Arkansas Online, 28 Jan. 2026
There was the pregame calf injury for defensive tackle DaQuan Jones that left the Bills short-handed against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6.
—Joe Buscaglia, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Verb
Dude, people have been pregaming for a year!
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Feb. 2026
Each year, millions of dog lovers tune in to the Puppy Bowl as a way to pregame the actual Super Bowl taking place that same Sunday, played by human athletes without tails.
—Stacia Datskovska, HollywoodReporter, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pregame
Cite this Entry
“Pregame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pregame. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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