prior to

as in before
earlier than make sure all revisions are approved by the author prior to publication

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prior to The goal was a long time coming, considering Marchand had his share of chances that didn’t translate prior to Thursday. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2025 McCann has defied partisan odds before in becoming mayor of Democratic Chula Vista and, prior to that, serving on the City Council. Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025 According to a neighbor, the family had moved to the neighborhood just a week prior to the attack. Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025 The victim appeared to have died prior to the incident, a police source confirmed to PEOPLE. Christine Pelisek, People.com, 10 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for prior to
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prior to
Preposition
  • And in court documents filed April 17, the day before the court hearing, Combs' legal team presented their case for excluding from the trial footage of Combs attacking then-girlfriend Cassie.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • That game was also one of two times, before Friday, that the Cubs allowed 10 runs in an inning and won.
    Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
Preposition
  • With nine more seasons under his belt as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers previous to that, he's recorded a 102-103-2 overall record.
    George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024
  • In the 18 years previous to that, Nagy was an NFL scout.
    Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024
Preposition
  • Ward seemed excited about the opportunity while speaking to the media on Wednesday.
    Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 25 Apr. 2025
  • Godwin, now 18, pleaded guilty to the murder that outraged the city, offering an apology for the shooting.
    Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Prior to.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prior%20to. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on prior to

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!