as in early
before the usual or expected time
a baby born three weeks prematurely
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Recent Examples of prematurely
Owen doesn't recommend using these for cut roses, and warns that, used in inappropriate amounts, such mixtures can kill your cut roses prematurely.
—
Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 11 Feb. 2026
But when Mickey is cloned prematurely, resulting in multiple Mickeys, both Mickeys find themselves in danger of extermination.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Feb. 2026
This was Benjamin, the son that Silvia had given birth to prematurely.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The baby girl arrived prematurely, after Broadus’ 25-week pregnancy.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
So unless that changes, a mandatory judicial retirement age would have the impact of prematurely forcing out highly qualified members of the bench prematurely.
—Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
And, unlike high-yield savings accounts, those rates are fixed and will remain the same until the account matures or until the saver elects to open the account prematurely.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Are players and families enlisting their help too prematurely, on bad advice?
—Katie Whyatt, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Failing to do so can make leaves drop prematurely.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 1 Feb. 2026
Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 11 Feb. 2026
But when Mickey is cloned prematurely, resulting in multiple Mickeys, both Mickeys find themselves in danger of extermination.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Feb. 2026
This was Benjamin, the son that Silvia had given birth to prematurely.
—Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
The baby girl arrived prematurely, after Broadus’ 25-week pregnancy.
—Alexandra Del Rosario, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2026
So unless that changes, a mandatory judicial retirement age would have the impact of prematurely forcing out highly qualified members of the bench prematurely.
—Chicago Tribune, 3 Feb. 2026
And, unlike high-yield savings accounts, those rates are fixed and will remain the same until the account matures or until the saver elects to open the account prematurely.
—Matt Richardson, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Are players and families enlisting their help too prematurely, on bad advice?
—Katie Whyatt, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2026
Failing to do so can make leaves drop prematurely.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 1 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prematurely
early
Adverb
-
The other half of that spacewalk, Christina Koch, is among the four Artemis II astronauts waiting to fly around the moon as early as March.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Paul Modrowski was 18 years old when prosecutors charged him and a co-defendant with the murder of a friend, Dean Fawcett, whose headless body was discovered months earlier near railroad tracks in Barrington.—
Christy Gutowski,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prematurely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prematurely. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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