previous to

as in before
earlier than his passport arrived just previous to his trip

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 previous to The other alleged incident happened previous to the plaintiff’s full-time employment with Ye’s operations, which started in 2021. Dennis Romero, NBC News, 13 Oct. 2024 Miss Letty Tifft has gone to Minneapolis to select stock and work in a wholesale millinery store for a few weeks previous to the opening of the spring season. Kay Johnson, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025 With nine more seasons under his belt as the head coach of the Carolina Panthers previous to that, he's recorded a 102-103-2 overall record. George Monastiriakos, Newsweek, 30 Dec. 2024 In the 18 years previous to that, Nagy was an NFL scout. Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for previous to
Recent Examples of Synonyms for previous to
Preposition
  • And in court documents filed April 17, the day before the court hearing, Combs' legal team presented their case for excluding from the trial footage of Combs attacking then-girlfriend Cassie.
    Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 19 Apr. 2025
  • That game was also one of two times, before Friday, that the Cubs allowed 10 runs in an inning and won.
    Sahadev Sharma, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2025
Preposition
  • While all cardinals can participate in the daily meetings that occur prior to the election, only 120 cardinals—all of whom have to be under the age of 80—can actually vote in the conclave.
    Solcyré Burga, Time, 21 Apr. 2025
  • Pretreat any stains with a stain remover of choice and blot with a dry white cloth to remove as much stain prior to washing.
    Daley Quinn, Southern Living, 21 Apr. 2025
Preposition
  • President Trump sent a letter to Khamenei last month urging negotiations, warning of possible military action if Iran refuses.
    CBS News, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2025
  • The vote over on Orange clearly was coming down to either Sai or Mailman Mitch — a man who may or may not have once helped prove the existence of Santa Claus after delivering bundles upon bundles of letters to Kris Kringle at the New York City courthouse.
    Dalton Ross, EW.com, 10 Apr. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Previous to.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/previous%20to. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!