1
as in forerunner
one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another
18th-century lyric poets like Robert Burns were precursors of the Romantics
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2
as in ancestor
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
a precursor of the modern eggplant
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of precursor
Essentially, this transition marks the point where our cells are set up with the precursors required for organ formation, one of the most critical events in human development.
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New Atlas,
27 June 2026
Today, financial independence is often about knowledge—and career opportunity—as a precursor to power.
—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
24 June 2026
While long thought to be a precursor to colonial rebellion against the crown, historians in the 20th century came to understand it as a more localized conflict, albeit one with long-ranging implications.
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Tracy Grant,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
24 June 2026
Likewise, rosehip oil comes packed with retinoid precursor vitamin A, and jojoba oil is a godsend for plumping up mature skin.
—
Rachel Nussbaum,
InStyle,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for precursor
New Atlas,
27 June 2026
Today, financial independence is often about knowledge—and career opportunity—as a precursor to power.
—
Emma Hinchliffe,
Fortune,
24 June 2026
While long thought to be a precursor to colonial rebellion against the crown, historians in the 20th century came to understand it as a more localized conflict, albeit one with long-ranging implications.
—
Tracy Grant,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
24 June 2026
Likewise, rosehip oil comes packed with retinoid precursor vitamin A, and jojoba oil is a godsend for plumping up mature skin.
—
Rachel Nussbaum,
InStyle,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for precursor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precursor
Noun
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The city had a history of assimilating such yearners, most notably Madonna, Swift’s forerunner and her own Middle American transplant success story.
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The group, which includes Chrysler, Fiat, Peugeot and Citroen, is becoming a forerunner in the promising progress of a new type of vehicle battery.
Noun
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Kean comes from a long line of public servants, stretching 250 years to the country’s founding when one of his ancestors became New Jersey’s first leader since independence.
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One of these is likely the evolutionary ancestor of all that is to come.
Noun
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The world looked to the social elite as the ultimate harbingers of style trends and sophistication, giving them a cultural cache and, in turn, a sense of power.
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And so those last 25 minutes served as a bizarre risk-management experiment that is likely to be a harbinger of what is to come in this tournament.
Noun
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Most healthy people recover without treatment, but the CDC recommends contacting a health care provider if symptoms are severe, don’t go away or lead to dehydration.
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The two-part procedure involves implanting thin electrodes into precise areas of the brain linked to Tourette symptoms, then connecting them under the skin to a pulse generator near the collarbone.
Noun
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The heralds operate like independent contractors, with their own caseloads.
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The series serves as an origin story for how Norrin Radd (voiced by Paul Essiembre) becomes the herald of Galactus (James Blendick), then breaks free from the clutches of the Devourer of Worlds to surf around the galaxy and help others.
Noun
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The housing bill, formally called the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, can still become law if Trump neither signs it nor vetoes it in 10 days, excluding Sundays.
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There are signs all around Preston Hollow opposing the project.
Noun
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Two thousand was a sign the angels were watching over me.
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The 21-year-old Islander, who made her entrance dressed as an angel, appears to spend her time horseback riding, traveling and modeling.
Cite this Entry
“Precursor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precursor. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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