predawn

adjective

pre·​dawn ˌprē-ˈdȯn How to pronounce predawn (audio)
-ˈdän
variants or less commonly pre-dawn
: existing or occurring before dawn
a predawn attack
the predawn hours
… the gigantic telescope started scanning the predawn sky.—Howard Blum
predawn noun
or less commonly pre-dawn
plural predawns also pre-dawns
The most bone-chilling predawns create the sharpest sunrises. —Christine Schultz
… stepping out into the quiet pre-dawn, closing the door. —Bryan Burrough

Examples of predawn in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Essayli highlighted the case of 72-year-old Omar Muñoz from Belize, who was arrested in a predawn raid Monday at his home in Commerce. — Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026 The time is right, but the weather might not cooperate as SpaceX has lined up a predawn launch Monday that could offer viewers another serving of space jellyfish. — Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Oct. 2026 Even as the storm weakened, the center of Isaias’s remnant circulation was located near Montgomery, Alabama, during the predawn hours Saturday. — Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 10 Oct. 2026 Just such an October weather pattern occurred 61 years ago, obscuring predawn views of the spectacular Comet Ikeya-Seki for most observers east of the Mississippi — an ironic fate for the most brilliant comet of the 20th century. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 8 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for predawn

Word History

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of predawn was in 1883

Rhymes for predawn

See All Rhymes for predawn

Browse Nearby Words

predatory
predawn
prede
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Predawn.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/predawn. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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