as in prelude
a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event
the couple's initial exchange of insults proved to be only a warm-up for their booze-fueled fight later that night
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 warm (up)
Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2025
But a warm-up is coming for the weekend, with temperatures climbing to the mid-70s on Saturday and the mid to upper 80s on Sunday, according to the weather service.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2025
Before the jackets are issued, the trophies are inscribed and the $20 million purse is disbursed, PGA fans can catch a leisurely warm-up swing for this weekend’s Masters.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Weekend warm-up likely in metro A warming trend with dry weather is expected for the weekend.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for warm (up)
Noun
Prior to the Coachella gig, the Go-Go’s played a warm-up show at Los Angeles’ the Roxy this week.
—Daniel Kreps, Rolling Stone, 12 Apr. 2025
But a warm-up is coming for the weekend, with temperatures climbing to the mid-70s on Saturday and the mid to upper 80s on Sunday, according to the weather service.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 11 Apr. 2025
Before the jackets are issued, the trophies are inscribed and the $20 million purse is disbursed, PGA fans can catch a leisurely warm-up swing for this weekend’s Masters.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
Weekend warm-up likely in metro A warming trend with dry weather is expected for the weekend.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 7 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for warm (up)
Recent Examples of Synonyms for warm (up)
Verb
-
Dutch florists provided tens of thousands of flowers in an intricate, colorful layout − a tradition in its 39th year.—
John Bacon,
USA Today,
21 Apr. 2025
-
While the amount of unused leave becomes public when an employee is paid out after leaving state service, the controller’s office would not provide the number of vacation days on the books for current employees, saying the information was confidential.—
Melody Gutierrez,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The city’s live music series, presented by the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, is a prelude to summer, bringing Sacramento natives and visitors together to celebrate and support the local talent produced in Sacramento.—
Marcus D. Smith,
Sacbee.com,
18 Apr. 2025
-
This investigation is a likely prelude to Trump’s tariffs to come.—
Nathaniel Weixel,
The Hill,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Brembo supplies the braking, and the new 700 boasts adjustable preload, rebound, and compression.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
26 Apr. 2025
-
His four-year contract also supplies long-term depth.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Late preliminaries available on ESPN+, ESPN, Disney+, and ESPN Deportes at 8 p.m. ET.—
Jim Varsallone,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2025
-
While the diving kicked off Thursday, the swimming gets underway with preliminaries on Friday, with the finals for both swimming and diving slated for Saturday.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
6 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Church volunteers, who were accustomed to helping furnish and decorate apartments for new arrivals, now had to help prevent evictions.—
Amy Yurkanin,
ProPublica,
15 Apr. 2025
-
Premium Apartments: For those seeking extended stays or additional space, fully furnished one-bedroom apartments with kitchenettes, balconies, and washers/dryers are available.—
Judy Koutsky,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The factory is equipped with intelligent systems that streamline production while maintaining standards.—
Lauren Carpenter,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced Saturday the aircraft was not equipped with any flight recorders, leaving many questions unanswered.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The Michael Monsoor and its two sister ships will be the first American vessels to be armed with hypersonic missiles, which can travel at over five times the speed of sound.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Apr. 2025
-
This brings us to today, when enterprise networks are more complex than ever before, and IT teams—even those armed with greater visibility and control—have even more to do than ever before.—
Charles Yeomans,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
This free forum will help educate the community on the probate process and available resources available to start estate planning efforts.—
Joe Rassel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
23 Apr. 2025
-
Another idea pitch presented to the White House called for more funding efforts to educate women about their menstrual cycles, the newspaper reported.—
Aris Folley,
The Hill,
22 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Warm (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/warm%20%28up%29. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share