as in forerunners
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
the once-ubiquitous typewriter was the predecessor of today's electronic keyboard
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Recent Examples of predecessors
Samsung Smartphone Deal The Galaxy Z Fold7 redefines the foldable experience by becoming both wider and slimmer than its predecessors, and providing 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage to support its massive 8-inch main screen.
—
Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
The novel, Lerner’s shortest to date, is a chamber piece, more compressed and crystallized than any of its predecessors.
—Giles Harvey, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
And in more recent years, progressive county prosecutor Kim Foxx approved a far higher number of exonerations than her predecessors, leading to more lawsuits the city had to address.
—Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Indeed, the need for RTGs was laid bare by Curiosity and Perseverance's predecessors, the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which were purely solar powered but suffered from diminishing power as Martian dust covered their solar arrays.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Apart from the name, the new LS6 has virtually nothing in common with its predecessors, apart from its general mission and dimensions.
—Byron Hurd, The Drive, 26 Mar. 2026
Does that mean there’s room for an in-universe cameo from Deadwyler and Patel’s spooky predecessors?
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
And like their predecessors, the Artemis 2 crew members may not have the honor of making a lunar landing, but will instead pave the way for future astronauts to step foot on the lunar surface.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
For years, DeSantis and his predecessors have given prisoners merely 30 days to litigate their final claims after receiving a death warrant.
—Melanie Verdecia, Sun Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026
Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 31 Mar. 2026
The novel, Lerner’s shortest to date, is a chamber piece, more compressed and crystallized than any of its predecessors.
—Giles Harvey, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
And in more recent years, progressive county prosecutor Kim Foxx approved a far higher number of exonerations than her predecessors, leading to more lawsuits the city had to address.
—Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
Indeed, the need for RTGs was laid bare by Curiosity and Perseverance's predecessors, the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity, which were purely solar powered but suffered from diminishing power as Martian dust covered their solar arrays.
—Keith Cooper, Space.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Apart from the name, the new LS6 has virtually nothing in common with its predecessors, apart from its general mission and dimensions.
—Byron Hurd, The Drive, 26 Mar. 2026
Does that mean there’s room for an in-universe cameo from Deadwyler and Patel’s spooky predecessors?
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
And like their predecessors, the Artemis 2 crew members may not have the honor of making a lunar landing, but will instead pave the way for future astronauts to step foot on the lunar surface.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
For years, DeSantis and his predecessors have given prisoners merely 30 days to litigate their final claims after receiving a death warrant.
—Melanie Verdecia, Sun Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predecessors
Noun
-
The Norwegian ended his season before the Olympics to further recover from a shoulder injury, but attended the finals as one of the forerunners, who test a course shortly before a race starts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
These were the forerunners of today’s robots.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
However, some species occasionally behave in ways that recall their land-curious evolutionary ancestors.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Your hamburger’s ancestors are extinct.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In March, state media reported that China arrested seven people in an operation targeting traffickers of fentanyl precursors, according to the Reuters news agency.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Such engravings, which depict the wackily maximalist style à la mode, including oodles of feathers and furbelows, were, in essence, early precursors to modern fashion magazines.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Predecessors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predecessors. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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