1
as in ancient
relating to or occurring near the beginning of a process, series, or time period
early birds of the Jurassic period
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unexpected
occurring before the usual or expected time
we had an early dinner so as not to miss the concert
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in immediately
before the usual or expected time
that year spring arrived early
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of early
Rino Lu, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
On her new album, though, this once-and-future country queen leans back into the twangier sounds of her earliest releases to bring the spirit of her home state into focus.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026
Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said earlier this month that the team was looking for more size and speed on the edge.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for early
Adjective
Bi has been aware of his own creative voice from an early stage, including recurring elements such as dreams and the treatment of time and space.
—Rino Lu, Variety, 30 Apr. 2026
On her new album, though, this once-and-future country queen leans back into the twangier sounds of her earliest releases to bring the spirit of her home state into focus.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 30 Apr. 2026
Adverb
Peralta, 27, was claimed via waivers from Milwaukee earlier this month.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 25 Apr. 2026
Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said earlier this month that the team was looking for more size and speed on the edge.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 25 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for early
Recent Examples of Synonyms for early
Adjective
-
Summer means movies 🍿 From ancient Greece to a galaxy far, far away, the summer movie season has a blockbuster lineup of epic, sci-fi, superheroes and heroines to draw film fans to theaters.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Each year, the city welcomes many curious visitors to experience the magnetism of ancient tradition meeting futuristic technology head-on.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
To use words in ways that are unexpected or surprising, to repurpose some of the legalese that has been weaponized against my characters.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Objects that once seemed temporary now reveal unexpected permanence.—
Sudhir Gupta,
Rolling Stone,
27 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
The hit was outsourced to a hulking Estonian assassin, Imre (the Butcher) Arakas, who arrived at Dublin Airport on April 3, 2017, and was immediately tailed by officers from the An Garda Síochána’s Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, who arrested him the next day.—
Ed Caesar,
New Yorker,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Employees were immediately forced to pay about 40% of the cost of their monthly premiums.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
This was a time when roads were primitive, and the need was to link cities with rural areas.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Any set of prime numbers is automatically primitive, because primes have no factors (except themselves and the number one).—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Other risks associated with poor air quality include premature death and low birth weight.—
Natassia Paloma,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Researchers also found oxybenzone damages DNA and triggers premature skeleton formation that can encase entire larvae.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
In the Making The babies — Thomas Ray, Shane Austin and Beaux Bentley — were delivered prematurely at 31 weeks gestation.—
Ryan Brennan
April 29,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Sterling’s career ended prematurely by injury after making five Pro Bowls in his seven seasons with the Packers.—
Todd Holcomb,
AJC.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Because the angle of Earth‘s magnetic field varies from the poles to the equator, these minerals act as a prehistoric GPS, allowing geoscientists to pinpoint a rock’s original location on the globe and chart its journey over millions of years.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Apr. 2026
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Rewriting the Story of Ancient Cretaceous Oceans For decades, the narrative of prehistoric oceans has centered on massive vertebrates as the dominant predators.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Early in his baseball career, Kaneland pitcher Jack Frey came to a sudden realization.—
Paul Johnson,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The turmoil has included the sudden resignation of then-Supt.—
Howard Blume,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Early.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/early. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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