1
as in precursor
one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another
the return of the swallows is traditionally regarded as a forerunner of spring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in ancestor
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
enjoyed the demonstration of the simple hand loom that was the forerunner of today's computer-controlled looms
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of forerunner
The League of Nations was the forerunner to the UN and is famous among historians for its formation after the wreckage of World War I and its almost immediate failure to prevent the rise of authoritarianism in the 1930s that gave way to World War II.
—
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
The primacy of a central meeting space can be traced to the Greek Empire with the agora, among other forerunners.
—Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
John DeWitt, the four-star general who oversaw the internment program, in particular, seems to be a forerunner to some of America's worst errors, paranoia, sins.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 1 Dec. 2025
The Park cinema launched under the ownership of Cineplex Odeon Cinemas, a forerunner of Cineplex and today an operator of multiplexes and out of home destinations.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forerunner
Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 5 Jan. 2026
The primacy of a central meeting space can be traced to the Greek Empire with the agora, among other forerunners.
—Jeanne Bonner, CNN Money, 19 Dec. 2025
John DeWitt, the four-star general who oversaw the internment program, in particular, seems to be a forerunner to some of America's worst errors, paranoia, sins.
—Philip Elliott, Time, 1 Dec. 2025
The Park cinema launched under the ownership of Cineplex Odeon Cinemas, a forerunner of Cineplex and today an operator of multiplexes and out of home destinations.
—Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for forerunner
Recent Examples of Synonyms for forerunner
Noun
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Commercial prediction markets have resisted efforts by states to classify and regulate them as gambling companies, insisting that they — like their precursor in Iowa — should be overseen by federal regulators.—
Suzy Khimm,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
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There’s a direct line from Licklider’s work to ARPANET, a precursor to the internet and World Wide Web, through the work of Robert Taylor, Doug Engelbart, Ted Nelson, and Tim Berners-Lee.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But now, a series of tea parties with an ape named Kanzi suggests some of our closest ancestors may have this ability too.—
Suzanne Nuyen,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2026
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The findings also suggest that herbivory evolved independently in several different groups of early land vertebrates, not just in the ancestors of modern reptiles.—
Lily Hautau,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Some investors see its rock-bottom valuation and 20% year-to-date share-price drop as a harbinger of what awaits its peers.—
Bernard Goyder,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
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Is this a harbinger for the November midterms?—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
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An international research collaboration co-led by UCLA has developed a nickel-iron battery prototype that recharges in seconds and maintains its performance for over 12,000 cycles.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Feb. 2026
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Rivian has unveiled a prototype of its upcoming $45,000 electric SUV, the R2, which company officials say will be crucial to its long-term future as a viable automaker.—
Keith Laing,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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New studies, however, clearly show that medical marijuana is not nearly as effective as the pro-marijuana lobby heralds.—
Mike Gimbel,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Jan. 2026
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Looking for bathroom storage ideas to herald in a loo refresh?—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The fasten-seatbelt sign was on and the flight attendants were performing final cabin checks when the plane suddenly dropped, then violently pitched back up.—
Aaron Cooper,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
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Tom pulled up a Wikipedia page on his laptop called WikiProject AI Cleanup, and another on how to spot signs of AI writing.—
Imogen West-Knights,
The Dial,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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FirstMark Capital led the round and was joined by GV, Spark Capital, Homebrew, and angel investors.—
Allie Garfinkle,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
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Even the Tampere Cathedral is a Modernist provocation, with a treatment of the Resurrection by Finnish symbolist Magnus Enckell; a serpent painted into the ceiling; and another painting that depicts death as a kind of caring angel.—
Boris Fishman,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Forerunner.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forerunner. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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