1
as in forerunner
one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another
18th-century lyric poets like Robert Burns were precursors of the Romantics
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2
as in ancestor
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
a precursor of the modern eggplant
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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of precursor
In each case, the records for Ohtani and Soto were a precursor to each player getting the largest contract in free agency, as well.
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Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Despite a hyperbolic festival reception, the comedy quickly fizzled after bombing at the box office and underperforming in precursor awards.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
Earlier in the morning, Bad Bunny also debuted a special short film, which serves as a precursor to the album.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 3 Jan. 2025
When Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain severed ties with Qatar in 2017, one of their demands for restoring relations was that Qatar sever its support for the Nusra Front, the precursor to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
—Ismaeel Naar, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for precursor 
Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Despite a hyperbolic festival reception, the comedy quickly fizzled after bombing at the box office and underperforming in precursor awards.
—Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY, 8 Jan. 2025
Earlier in the morning, Bad Bunny also debuted a special short film, which serves as a precursor to the album.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 3 Jan. 2025
When Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain severed ties with Qatar in 2017, one of their demands for restoring relations was that Qatar sever its support for the Nusra Front, the precursor to Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.
—Ismaeel Naar, New York Times, 3 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for precursor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precursor
Noun
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The company's North American forerunner, Chrysler, has been left for dead repeatedly over the decades, only to emerge with hit products like minivans in the 1980s and the Dodge Ram pickup in the 1990s.Joel Mathis, theweek, 17 Dec. 2024
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The launch of its own line of foundation models marks Amazon’s latest push to strengthen its position against forerunners Microsoft, Google, Meta and OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.AFP, Fortune, 4 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Franklin’s immediate ancestors grew up in a world where the fear of witchcraft led to tragic consequences.Michael Sheldrick, Forbes, 18 Jan. 2025
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An Africa that would leave our ancestors speechless, unable to comprehend the magnitude of our joy and freedom.Laurel Dalrymple, NPR, 18 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Do the 2025 Golden Globe Awards translate to Oscar gold? Actors, directors and producers picking up Golden Globe awards have good reason to feel their wins could be a harbinger of Oscar night celebrations in a few months.Marco della Cava, USA TODAY, 2 Jan. 2025
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The ugly scene on a suburban street was a harbinger of skirmishes to come.Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
Noun
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But the new study used AI prospectively in a national screening study in Germany of women between the ages of 50-69 who had no symptoms, hoping to pick up cases of breast cancer at early stages.Victoria Forster, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025
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The number of people reporting symptoms declined a year after the fire, but even two years out, about a third of those surveyed reported at least one smoke- and ash-related symptom.Jen Christensen, CNN, 13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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If Wired of the 2010s was the cheerful herald of a shiny, happy future (not a judgment!), this piece is its indignant child, pointing accusingly at the mess.Longreads, Longreads, 20 Dec. 2024
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The part comes with all sorts of details that serve as the heralds of its legitimacy, like the fact that Jolie spent months in training to sing opera, her real voice blended with Callas’s famous one whenever her character performs.Alison Willmore, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2024
Noun
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In a sign that demand for high-end listings will quickly outpace supply, Eckardt hosted showings on Thursday for four rental properties.Tatiana Siegel, Variety, 11 Jan. 2025
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Weather reports have shown no signs of rain that might help relieve the intensity of the fires.James Bickerton, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The company’s existing investors Greycroft, Correlation Ventures and MVP Ventures also joined in the round — along with notable angel investors including Gokul Rajaram and Ken Pilot.Arthur Zaczkiewicz, WWD, 13 Jan. 2025
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Amit Jain, finance/strategy expert, angel investor, leads Dhruva Advisors USA & USACFO, driving M&A, cross-border investments & acquisitions One of the most difficult parts of the fundraising exercise for entrepreneurs is negotiating the valuation discussion.Amit Jain, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Precursor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precursor. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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