How to Use preface in a Sentence

preface

1 of 2 noun

• The book's preface was written by the author.
• Gaiman wrote in a preface to the 10th Anniversary Edition of the book.
  — Joanna Robinson, VanityFair.com, 30 Apr. 2017
• The preface is done, and 82 chapters are yet to be written.
  — David Woods, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Oct. 2021
• Dr. Stern wrote in a preface to the book’s second edition.
  — William Grimes, New York Times, 18 May 2016
• The preface of that version might have served as a warning.
  — Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 19 Mar. 2017
• Her silver medal in team pursuit at the 2016 Olympics was mere preface.
  — David Woods, Indianapolis Star, 30 Dec. 2019
• The preface to your latest edition addresses the problem of truth in the age of Trump.
  — Sean Illing, Vox, 1 Aug. 2018
• Preface with: Thinking this is dead, or going to die, or has no chance is a bad idea.
  — Phil Mattingly and Lauren Fox, CNN, 26 June 2017
• In the preface, Langlands tells the story of how his strimmer—a motored tool to trim grass—broke.
  — Josephine Livingstone, The New Republic, 9 Apr. 2018
• In a 1994 preface to the book, Collins urged more spending on space exploration and on a manned mission to Mars.
  — Jessica Gresko, Chron, 28 Apr. 2021
• As Christopher Tolkien writes in his preface, these two lovers were very close to his father’s heart.
  — Josephine Livingstone, New Republic, 14 June 2017
• Though fiction, all the stories are based on true events, Chaves Nogales wrote in a preface.
  — Liza Foreman, Variety, 6 Nov. 2022
• The president’s swipe across the aisle is likely a preface for the kind of rhetoric Democrats will espouse on the campaign trail in the coming months.
  — Alisa Wiersema, ABC News, 17 Aug. 2022
• In the preface to his book, Mr. Hannah reflected on his immersion in the wild ’70s scene.
  — New York Times, 15 June 2022
• In his preface, Wilder writes that this play comes alive under the conditions of crisis.
  — Liz Appel, Vogue, 28 Apr. 2022
• This all happens in a preface, in prose as practical as a drug pamphlet.
  — Christian Wiman, Harper's magazine, 20 Jan. 2020
• The preface also details the first meeting Biskind had with Bob and Harvey while researching the book.
  — Yohana Desta, HWD, 12 Oct. 2017
• They were worn just above the ears, like a preface to the earrings (artful hoops that looped-de-looped), and added a subtle touch of practical glamour.
  — Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 25 Feb. 2021
• Meyers is a central character in the book who alters the course of Tortorella’s life from the preface to the very last chapter.
  — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE.com, 17 Sep. 2019
• In a 1994 preface to the book, Collins urged more spending on space exploration and on an astronaut mission to Mars.
  — Jessica Gresko, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Apr. 2021
• The real-life models for the fictional versions of both men play themselves in the film’s preface and coda.
  — Joe Morgenstern, WSJ, 24 June 2021
• Keynes writes the preface for the Nazis and favors eugenics his whole life, and that’s hardly ever mentioned.
  — Daniel Tenreiro, National Review, 2 Dec. 2020
• Copland served as a preface to Beethoven’s Symphony No.
  — Mark Swed, latimes.com, 14 July 2017
• Quick preface, though: This write-up specifically goes over the details of what happened last week.
  — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 23 Feb. 2021
• In her brief preface, Callahan reminds readers that serial killing is the rarest of all forms of murder.
  — David James, Anchorage Daily News, 12 Oct. 2019
• The novel opens with a kind of preface set at Cluain Mhic Nóis, a relatively new monastery with about three dozen monks in the center of Ireland.
  — Ron Charles, Washington Post, 16 Aug. 2022
• This reference came from an even older work, a preface to Seneca’s tragedy Thyestes, printed by Jasper Heywood in 1560.
  — BostonGlobe.com, 19 Mar. 2021
• Based on the Folio’s preface, Heminge and Condell clearly held Shakespeare in high regard.
  — Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Apr. 2023
• His preface ends with a pair of disembodied eyes, magnified behind the lenses of large glasses.
  — Becca Rothfeld, Washington Post, 13 July 2023
• After a brief preface by another employee, a worker identified as Chad can be seen in the video wading ankle-deep into the water towards the waiting Elvis.
  — Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 1 Aug. 2023

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preface

2 of 2 verb

• No need to preface your questions with a lead-in or even worse, your own opinion.
  — Mary Kate Cary, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2020
• Their words prefaced a video that seemed more on point for last year, when #OscarsSoWhite was the sub-theme of the ceremony.
  — Robin Abcarian, latimes.com, 5 Mar. 2018
• Having to preface each joke with a warning label does tend to put a crimp in a stand-up routine.
  — Harry Bruinius, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Nov. 2021
• Kiper prefaced his mock draft by explaining a lot can and will change before April 26.
  — Laken Litman, Indianapolis Star, 18 Jan. 2018
• And that knowing musical number prefaces the film’s most clever meta twist.
  — Bryan Bishop, The Verge, 14 Nov. 2018
• Did the nearly three hours of testimony, prefaced by a hug from Sessions’ wife, change any minds?
  — latimes.com, 14 June 2017
• The song, which is prefaced in the music video with a desperate-sounding monologue in Kesha’s voice, is smooth and soulful.
  — Sara M Moniuszko, USA TODAY, 6 July 2017
• To preface, Malik had just been asked about his relationship with the men of One Direction, and seemed to only have nice things to say.
  — Mehera Bonner, Marie Claire, 13 Sep. 2017
• That prefaced a summer in which Apple, 22, won five gold medals at the World University Games and three relay medals at worlds.
  — David Woods, Indianapolis Star, 21 Jan. 2020
• The new rules were prefaced by a stark warning: Police will have a greater presence than in years past, and the student tailgating area will be taken away if the rules aren’t followed.
  — Kevin Vellturo, courant.com, 28 Aug. 2019
• Arguably one of the best shows of 2019, .Paak’s performance was prefaced by the aforementioned Thundercat.
  — Gail Mitchell, Billboard, 30 June 2019
• Lewinsky did preface some of her questions with her own thoughts and observations.
  — Lynette Rice, EW.com, 9 Nov. 2021
• The devastating crash prefaced the financial demise of one of the country’s low-cost carriers.
  — Amy B Wang, Washington Post, 6 Apr. 2018
• To preface this, Smith entered the postgame news conference faster than usual, clearly a little fired up, clearly not thrilled.
  — Josh Newman, The Salt Lake Tribune, 7 Jan. 2023
• That suffering would be empty without the love that prefaces it, and there Diehl and Pachner also make Franz and Frani shine as two bright souls entwined.
  — Barbara Vandenburgh, azcentral, 19 Dec. 2019
• Todd pointed out that the microphone was picking up audio from the crowd and resumed prefacing his question, but somehow that wasn’t enough to fix the problem.
  — oregonlive, 26 June 2019
• But though the book is not quite an original work, each essay is prefaced by a short new retrospective, situating the work in Coates’ life and thinking at the time.
  — Jamelle Bouie, Slate Magazine, 2 Oct. 2017
• As sartorially flashy as Crockett and Tubbs were, the show's tone wound up being the more lasting element in the long haul and prefaced the more realistic cop shows to come in the '90s.
  — Ew Staff, EW.com, 17 Mar. 2023
• The resolution prefaces this passage by stating that this right ...
  — Andrew Fowler, National Review, 6 Apr. 2023
• So to preface, my husband has not physically cheated on me.
  — Author: Wayne and Wanda, Alaska Dispatch News, 14 Oct. 2017
• Brennan prefaces each installment with an instrumental recording, a tongue-in-cheek cover of the country’s top pop song from the week of the incident featured in the episode.
  — James Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 3 May 2018
• As the meeting began, the candidate expressed a need to preface his remarks with a denunciation of his hosts.
  — Barton Swaim, WSJ, 28 June 2021
• The performance was prefaced by a heartfelt introduction speech by one of Bush’s other major fans: Big Boi.
  — Hattie Lindert, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2023
• Sticking with it Killebrew prefaced her epic 100 meters in March’s indoor nationals at New York.
  — David Woods, Indianapolis Star, 20 June 2019
• Anna Wintour prefaced in this video—think being the operative word.
  — Emily Farra, Vogue, 4 Oct. 2018
• All the authors preface their stories with brief appreciations of Greene and his publishing house.
  — Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 2 Oct. 2019
• Kraft prefaced her observation with a mention of her respect for President Trump and his office.
  — CBS News, 18 June 2018
• Many hoped her appearance would preface a new album or tour — a surefire post-Super Bowl play following an event that pays its performers union scale.
  — Los Angeles Times, 13 Feb. 2023
• Most of the students and parents invited from the Florida school appeared to support Mr. Trump, many of them prefacing their comments with praise for his leadership.
  — Julie Hirschfeld Davis, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2018
• But municipal authorities in a Washington suburb did so Monday to preface a report of cows wandering through the streets.
  — Martin Weil, Washington Post, 1 Aug. 2023

Last Updated: 5 Sep 2024