THERETOFORE Synonyms: 21 Similar and Opposite Words

theretofore

adverb

ˈt͟her-tə-ˌfȯr

Definition of theretofore

as in yet

up to this or that time theretofore the couple hadn't given much thought to marriage, but the unplanned pregnancy changed everything

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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 theretofore The spectacle was sufficiently embarrassing that the Prime Minister decreed within a week that executions would theretofore be hidden behind prison doors. — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2026 The reaction to the release of All Quiet on the Western Front in Germany marked an early Hollywood encounter with the pathological race hatred of a theretofore unknown political party. — Thomas Doherty, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Sep. 2022 While deal volume in July and August still trends slower, recent years have enjoyed more robust markets during this period than theretofore. — Frederick Peters, Forbes, 5 July 2022 There weren’t many bright colors, but some theretofore unnoticed textural quirks—on clothes, on faces—went wild with deep, scrutinizing, photographic detail. — Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 20 Dec. 2021

Recent Examples of Synonyms for theretofore

Adverb

Now, in yet another blow to national self-esteem, the ex-head of Germany’s foreign intelligence agency, the BND, has been arrested on charges of exploiting state secrets.

— The Week UK, TheWeek, 17 Oct. 2026
Mars has been mapped extensively for its geology, minerals and chemistry, yet researchers have lacked a unified system to classify its soils by multiple properties.

— Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of yet

Adverb

The combination of populism and anti-Zionism has introduced a strain of political rhetoric that heretofore has had little place within the Democratic Party.

— Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026
But as Marcus shrewdly explains, the precedent for TV voters to catch up to Season 4 on a show that’s heretofore gone unnominated is almost nonexistent.

— Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 10 July 2026

Definition of heretofore

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theres

theretofore

thereupon

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“Theretofore.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/theretofore. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of theretofore

adverb

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