preseason
noun
pre·sea·son
ˌprē-ˈsē-zᵊn 
ˈprē-ˌsē-zᵊn
plural preseasons
: a period of time immediately preceding a season
tourists who visit during the preseason
especially
: a training period preceding a sport's regular season in which teams compete in unofficial games
The preseason starts in two weeks.
performed well in (the) preseason
Quarterback John Friesz was lost for the year in the preseason to knee surgery. —
Paul Zimmerman
Paul Zimmerman Dennis Rodman's mysterious boycott finally ended on Monday when he arrived for practice for the first time since the start of preseason. —Jack McCallum
Jack McCallum
preseason
adjective
preseason football
preseason training
the preseason opener/finale
preseason rankings/polls
the preseason favorite
Examples of preseason in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The league held preseason games there in the early 1990s, but the effort was short-lived.
—Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
The 23-year-old Luis made four preseason appearances for the Celtics — logging eight total minutes and scoring six points — and was released before the regular season began, with Boston giving his two-way contract slot to Ron Harper Jr.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 19 May 2026
Canales explained the advantages of participating in such practices prior to the preseason games, and why repeating the exercise with the Texans was a good call.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 18 May 2026
The Commanders will visit the Ravens' Under Armour Performance Center on Wednesday, August 26, in Owings Mills, ahead of the Ravens and Commanders' preseason game in Baltimore on August 28.
—Adam Thompson, CBS News, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for preseason
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 19 May 2026
The 23-year-old Luis made four preseason appearances for the Celtics — logging eight total minutes and scoring six points — and was released before the regular season began, with Boston giving his two-way contract slot to Ron Harper Jr.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 19 May 2026
Canales explained the advantages of participating in such practices prior to the preseason games, and why repeating the exercise with the Texans was a good call.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 18 May 2026
The Commanders will visit the Ravens' Under Armour Performance Center on Wednesday, August 26, in Owings Mills, ahead of the Ravens and Commanders' preseason game in Baltimore on August 28.
—Adam Thompson, CBS News, 18 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for preseason
Cite this Entry
“Preseason.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preseason. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
