predating

present participle of predate
as in preceding
to go or come before in time gunpowder predated the invention of the gun by several centuries

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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 predating Local politician Mohamed Mustafa described the divisions as predating the summer's border crisis. — ABC News, 12 Oct. 2026 The facility has been operating since 1839, when Jerusalem was still part of the Ottoman Empire, predating the founding of Israel by more than a century. — Dov Lieber, CBS News, 8 Oct. 2026 For years, a Clarus sculpture held a prominent spot in the icon garden outside the Apple headquarters buildings, predating Apple Park’s spaceship structure. — Rob Pegoraro, PC Magazine, 17 Sep. 2026 Medical records predating her stint in ICE custody show that her calcium and hormone levels were stable in March. — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 30 Aug. 2026 There are several cities in America called Ontario – at least one of them predating the Canadian province by like 100 years – because the word originates with native tribes in North America. — Gabe Hauari, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026 Yields tumbled following the announcement, with the 30-year down about 10 basis points after previously hitting its highest in about 19 years, predating the global financial crisis in 2008. — Jeff Cox,sean Conlon,hugh Leask, CNBC, 20 Aug. 2026 Via negativa, a centuries-old philosophical practice, long predating modern business writing – holds that some things are better understood, and improved, by identifying what to remove rather than what to add. — Nell Derick Debevoise Dewey, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2026 Built in 1836—predating Newport’s famous Gilded Age mansions—this 4,000-square-foot residence epitomizes old-school Americana. — Kelsey Mulvey, Vogue, 4 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for predating
preceding
Verb
  • Susan was perfectly content to spend hours beside the water with her daughter—a welcome relief for a woman who’d spent so much of the preceding years caring for other people.
    — Jenn Sinrich, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Wrongful termination claims in the tech world are common immediately preceding large funding rounds as investors seek to optimize financial metrics.
    — Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Predating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predating. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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