as in forerunner
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed the once-ubiquitous typewriter was the predecessor of today's electronic keyboard
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 predecessor Eta's predecessor Steffen Baumgart was fired last week with the team having won none of its last three games, and only two of the last 14. —
ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026 Probably half of his predecessors did. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026 Brashly violent, clattery and pleasingly untied to any direct predecessor, the result is more generic than its braggy auteur claims might promise, but there’s a lot here for gorehounds to feast on. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026 Does Cronin’s film have the sharp narrative lines or control of those predecessors? —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for predecessor
ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026 Probably half of his predecessors did. —Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 Apr. 2026 Brashly violent, clattery and pleasingly untied to any direct predecessor, the result is more generic than its braggy auteur claims might promise, but there’s a lot here for gorehounds to feast on. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026 Does Cronin’s film have the sharp narrative lines or control of those predecessors? —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for predecessor
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predecessor
Noun
-
Williams had managed traditional Tex-Mex restaurants that were the forerunner of today’s Mercado Juarez Cafes.— Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 1 Apr. 2026
-
The camp is a program of the Woodcraft Rangers, founded by author and naturalist Ernest Thompson Seton, whose pioneering Woodcraft Rangers program was a forerunner to groups such as the Boy Scouts.— Jessie Dax-Setkus, Oc Register, 22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Based on the 1995 novel by Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic follows the witchy women of the Owens’ family, whose heartbroken ancestor cursed their bloodline so that any man who falls in love with an Owens woman dies a tragic death.— Glenn Garner, Deadline, 22 Apr. 2026
-
Since the discovery of the bacterial flagellar motor in the 1970s, biologists and creationists alike have marveled at its design like medieval architects staring with awe at the dome of the Pantheon built by their Roman ancestors.— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The rise coincides with a recent crackdown by the Chinese government on the sale of precursors used to make fentanyl.— ABC News, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2026
-
Mobileye essentially pioneered cameras on cars, creating features such as lane-keeping assistance and adaptive cruise control, precursors to cars driving themselves.— Chris Anderson, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Predecessor.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/thesaurus/predecessor. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
