1
as in prologue
a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event
an eruption of sectarian violence that proved to be the prelude to all-out civil war
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2
as in introduction
a short section (as of a book) that leads to or explains the main part
the musical had a brief prelude to get the audience in the proper mood
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Recent Examples of prelude
Asked during an interview whether the investment was a bid to burnish its image and a prelude to an initial public offering, Tang demurred.
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Samantha Conti, WWD, 9 July 2024
This was all a prelude to what everyone wanted to see: James scored his first unofficial NBA points on a driving layup 5:51 before halftime.
—Bruce Haring, Deadline, 6 July 2024
While some observers fear that the attack could have been initiated as a prelude to a wider Israeli military incursion in Lebanon, Krieg says such an escalation would be in neither party’s interests, recent comments from the Israeli defense minister notwithstanding.
—Yasmeen Serhan, TIME, 18 Sep. 2024
The early numbers are just a prelude as campaigns gear up to stuff mailboxes with campaign literature and flood airwaves with ads, as some are already doing.
—Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prelude 
Samantha Conti, WWD, 9 July 2024
This was all a prelude to what everyone wanted to see: James scored his first unofficial NBA points on a driving layup 5:51 before halftime.
—Bruce Haring, Deadline, 6 July 2024
While some observers fear that the attack could have been initiated as a prelude to a wider Israeli military incursion in Lebanon, Krieg says such an escalation would be in neither party’s interests, recent comments from the Israeli defense minister notwithstanding.
—Yasmeen Serhan, TIME, 18 Sep. 2024
The early numbers are just a prelude as campaigns gear up to stuff mailboxes with campaign literature and flood airwaves with ads, as some are already doing.
—Nick Coltrain, The Denver Post, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prelude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prelude
Noun
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If past is prologue, Tuesday's election won't have much effect on U.S. oil and gas production anytime soon.Ben Geman, Axios, 1 Nov. 2024
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As they’re introduced in the prologue, the three groups of main characters (white, Black, largely Jewish immigrants) circle one another and then blend into mixed groups, contrapuntally.Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Social media platforms would not take root in the U.S. for another decade, and the introduction of the iPhone was still seven years away, but the quick turnaround of the audio from the hearing made Americans feel the rush of momentous events happening in real time.Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 5 Nov. 2024
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Then Billboard was cited when describing T.I.’s seminal 2003 Trap Muzik album as an introduction of trap music to the masses, but the contestants were stumped and couldn’t identify who the rapper-actor is despite a photo of him accompanying the clue.Michael Saponara, Billboard, 4 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The Southern Section held its track and field preliminaries at four sites around Southern California on Saturday, and sophomore Brian Bonner of Valencia High continued his rise to prominence.Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
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In 1988: Greg Louganis won the gold medal in the 3-meter springboard at the Seoul Olympics one day after hitting his head on the diving board during the preliminaries.Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 21 Sep. 2024
Noun
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The muses promised fame and fortune to artists who followed them, but are rarely mentioned by name in the prologues and prefaces of artworks today.Alison Habens, JSTOR Daily, 31 Oct. 2024
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In her preface to a reissued edition of the novel, Segal remembers being housed in a camp during a frigid English winter.Cressida Leyshon, The New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Rema and Tems are both (deservingly) nominated in Best Global Music Album, despite making overtures toward pop, R&B, and hip-hop — raising questions as to why Tyla couldn’t have been slotted there too.Justin Curto, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
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Any credible overture must be taken seriously, whether from an activist investor seeking changes in strategy or from a potential acquirer seeking full control.Jeff Jacobs, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Nearly a decade later, Joe Biden wrote the foreword to her memoir.Jo Yurcaba, NBC News, 6 Nov. 2024
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In a post on X, the singer shared his foreword to Jones’ 2022 book 12 Notes: On Life and Creativity.Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near prelude
Cite this Entry
“Prelude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prelude. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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