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Recent Examples of preadolescence
Like his early childhood in Omaha, Nebraska; his troubled preadolescence in Lansing, Michigan; and his immersion in street-corner politics in 1950s Harlem, Malcolm’s coming-of-age in Boston shaped his radicalism as profoundly as the Nation of Islam and his 1964 pilgrimage to Mecca did.
—
Kerri Greenidge, The Atlantic, 15 Oct. 2020
Instead, the rats concerned acted normally until given their preadolescence doses of THC.
—The Economist, 19 Oct. 2019
Yet there’s no better example of the genius of Big Mouth—a comedy that nails the sophomoric physical humor of preadolescence but whose hilarious portrait of puberty is really a mirror held up to adult sexuality—more than what follows.
—Judy Berman, Time, 4 Oct. 2019
Kerri Greenidge, The Atlantic, 15 Oct. 2020
Instead, the rats concerned acted normally until given their preadolescence doses of THC.
—The Economist, 19 Oct. 2019
Yet there’s no better example of the genius of Big Mouth—a comedy that nails the sophomoric physical humor of preadolescence but whose hilarious portrait of puberty is really a mirror held up to adult sexuality—more than what follows.
—Judy Berman, Time, 4 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preadolescence
Noun
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The show, in exaggerating adolescence—in remaking that consequential phase as a fantasy and a melodrama—also managed to honor it.—
Megan Garber,
The Atlantic,
12 Feb. 2026
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On the cusp of adolescence, Vincent starts questioning his identity, friendships and family, while experiencing his first crushes.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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The vice president of Lionel Messi’s boyhood team Newell’s Old Boys says the club are working on plans to bring the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner back to the side in 2027.—
Jessica Hopkins,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
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Fermin came close to leaving his boyhood club in the summer, when Premier League giant Chelsea was eager to acquire his services.—
Tom Sanderson,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The response felt like a celebration of girlhood.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
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Those feelings, comfort, and sense of girlhood that the dolls can spark does not have to go away just because a person grows up.—
Kate Perez,
USA Today,
24 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Preadolescence.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preadolescence. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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