as in preparatory
coming before the main part or item usually to introduce or prepare for what follows
we need to do some preliminary research in order to properly focus the experiment
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in prelude
a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event
a meeting to discuss seating arrangements that was merely a preliminary to the formal negotiating sessions
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Recent Examples of preliminary
Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Homicides across the United States are poised to plummet for the third straight year as 2024 winds down, driving the nation's annual murder toll down to levels not seen since before the pandemic, according to preliminary data from cities both large and small.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 31 Dec. 2024
Paul McCardell, Baltimore Sun, 26 July 2024
On the national level, the competition is in four phases: preliminaries, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.
—Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 28 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for preliminary 
Adjective
According to preliminary figures from CAL FIRE, the Palisades fire, which has destroyed over 5,300 structures, is now the third-most destructive in state history.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 10 Jan. 2025
Homicides across the United States are poised to plummet for the third straight year as 2024 winds down, driving the nation's annual murder toll down to levels not seen since before the pandemic, according to preliminary data from cities both large and small.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 31 Dec. 2024
Noun
Born in Baltimore and a graduate of Mount St. Joseph High School, swimmer Tommy Hannan won gold as a swimmer in the preliminaries of the Sydney 2000 400 medley relay, which was won by teammates swimming in the finals.
—Paul McCardell, Baltimore Sun, 26 July 2024
On the national level, the competition is in four phases: preliminaries, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.
—Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 28 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for preliminary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for preliminary
Adjective
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The ultimate sources of that water — three tanks each with a capacity of roughly 1 million gallons — were filled as a preparatory measure before the fires broke out, city authorities say.Niall Stanage, The Hill, 9 Jan. 2025
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Among Muslim countries, Qatar makes sense on a logistical level because that is where all the preparatory work took place, including the brainstorming sessions that generated the office idea and the early meetings with the Taliban's leadership envoy.Michael Semple, Foreign Affairs, 9 Jan. 2012
Noun
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At times, the session, which lasted over five hours, seemed to be a prelude to the as-yet unscheduled confirmation hearings for Kash Patel, Mr. Trump’s pick to run the F.B.I., which is part of the Justice Department.Glenn Thrush, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2025
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What will happen with his fandom will be a prelude of what’s to come.Angela Watercutter, WIRED, 30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Her two other full-lengths, Happier Than Ever and Hit Me Hard and Soft, as well as her introductory EP Don’t Smile at Me, all continue to hold on as Americans buy and stream them constantly.Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
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That’s the part of Campbell’s introductory speech that everyone leaves out.Zak Keefer, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near preliminary
Cite this Entry
“Preliminary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/preliminary. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.
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