1
as in forerunners
one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another
18th-century lyric poets like Robert Burns were precursors of the Romantics
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in ancestors
something belonging to an earlier time from which something else was later developed
a precursor of the modern eggplant
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 precursors
So does a significant share of the fertilizer precursors and agricultural imports that Gulf states rely on to feed their populations.
—
Tenzin Seldon, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
The rise coincides with a recent crackdown by the Chinese government on the sale of precursors used to make fentanyl.
—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
Iran also spied on Iraqi positions with rudimentary precursors to drones, an early use of one of the regime’s most effective weapons in its attempt to blockade the strait.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
In March, state media reported that China arrested seven people in an operation targeting traffickers of fentanyl precursors, according to the Reuters news agency.
—CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
Fixing Li-ion battery limits The method works under ambient conditions and relies on simple precursors.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 Mar. 2026
Scientists at Colossal have cultivated primordial germ cells — early precursors to sperm and egg cells — from the pigeon, the dodo’s closest living relative.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Scientists at the company have cultivated primordial germ cells — early precursors to sperm and egg cells — from the pigeon, the dodo’s closest living relative.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 16 Mar. 2026
Tenzin Seldon, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
The rise coincides with a recent crackdown by the Chinese government on the sale of precursors used to make fentanyl.
—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
Iran also spied on Iraqi positions with rudimentary precursors to drones, an early use of one of the regime’s most effective weapons in its attempt to blockade the strait.
—Sudarsan Raghavan, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2026
In March, state media reported that China arrested seven people in an operation targeting traffickers of fentanyl precursors, according to the Reuters news agency.
—CBS News, 3 Apr. 2026
Fixing Li-ion battery limits The method works under ambient conditions and relies on simple precursors.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 18 Mar. 2026
Scientists at Colossal have cultivated primordial germ cells — early precursors to sperm and egg cells — from the pigeon, the dodo’s closest living relative.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 16 Mar. 2026
Scientists at the company have cultivated primordial germ cells — early precursors to sperm and egg cells — from the pigeon, the dodo’s closest living relative.
—Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precursors
Noun
-
Even the Hammurabi Code, a set of laws created by the sixth Babylonian king in approximately 1760 bce, established forerunners of today’s interest rate and minimum wage laws.—
Chris Roush,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The Norwegian ended his season before the Olympics to further recover from a shoulder injury, but attended the finals as one of the forerunners, who test a course shortly before a race starts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
All of us are here because, over millennia of acts of God and wars and disease, our ancestors trusted the hours.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Regardless of whether plans are rejigged, there will be plenty of pomp and circumstance for Charles, 77, as befitting a state visit of a British king to a country that his ancestors once ruled.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His symptoms led to limits on his diet and physical activity.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
25 Apr. 2026
-
After being bitten, people may develop a rash, but if left untreated, symptoms can include fever, facial paralysis, arthritis, heart problems, dizziness, nerve pain, inflammation of the brain and spinal cord and pain in the hands or feet, according to the CDC.—
Charna Flam,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In recent years, there have also been reports of vandalism and attacks on robotaxis and delivery robots, which some see as harbingers of a high-tech future not everyone asked for.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
17 Apr. 2026
-
If nothing else, Kidman should rally the rest of her Big Little Lies castmates as a roving band of blonde soothsayers and harbingers of eternal sleep.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
That night, our CEO gets another shot on goal with a new gaggle of angels in New York.—
Neil Senturia,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The yarns of Joe Turner interweave gradually, everyday chit-chat, bargaining, and flirtation interlocking over time with threads of mysticism — both the ghosts of a brutal history and the ancestral spirits that stand protective and defiant like a phalanx of angels with shining swords.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
With most dogs showing signs of dental disease by age three, simple, low-effort solutions are gaining traction among pet owners looking for consistency without adding complexity.—
Daniel Fusch,
USA Today,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Sources with knowledge of the case previously told Fox News Digital there were no signs of a struggle inside.—
Michael Ruiz , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
After years of competing for quarters in the arcades, two of the heralds of the video game age are working in tandem.—
Devin Robertson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
The movie heralds from FilmNation Entertainment’s production label Infrared, Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions, and Assemble Media.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
His deputies and outriders are not quite so deft.—
Sam Knight,
New Yorker,
21 Sep. 2025
-
Churchill Downs outriders, jockey agents, jockeys Florent Geroux and Julian Leperoux, as well as members of Lukas' barn staff also sat in the crowd.—
Stephanie Kuzydym,
Louisville Courier Journal,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Precursors.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precursors. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
