EARLIER Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

earlier

adverb

as in ahead

so as to precede something in order of time he had arrived earlier to take care of some preliminary matters

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for earlier

Adverb

But Mitchell forged ahead, achieving the vision that ballet is for everyone.

— Lauren Warnecke, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Gomez's goal put Brighton 2-0 ahead against its biggest rival — and the team went 3-0 up three minutes later before running out a 5-0 winner.

— ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of ahead

Adverb

The latest demonstrations, held Saturday, encouraged Americans to vote early in the upcoming midterm elections.

— Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2026
Some began working for Union Pacific as early as the 1950s, in jobs that included track maintenance, signal maintenance, conducting and engineering.

— Madison Smalstig, Sacbee.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of early

Adverb

But the tireless churn of his storytelling, picking up and depositing little clues of what came before, is the mark of an auteur who has barely scratched the surface of his prowess.

— Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
In fact, researchers have never seen 99 percent of the viruses discovered there before.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of before

Adverb

Her party is already the largest opposition party in parliament, and a snap legislative election following the presidential vote could entrench it further.

— Nicholas Bequelin, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
Wider shipping disruptions While some operators remain willing to transit Hormuz, much of the global container shipping industry has already adjusted its networks to avoid the strait.

— Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of already

Adverb

The city previously issued bonds in 2024 to finance sewer system extensions.

— Randy Moll, Arkansas Online, 13 Oct. 2026
Know More Democrats have previously come up short in trying to defeat Fitzpatrick, who is one of the few House Republicans representing a district won by Kamala Harris in 2024.

— Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of previously

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.

Browse Nearby Words

earl

earlier

earliest

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“Earlier.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/earlier. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of earlier

adverb

Example Sentences

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