1
as in prologue
a performance, activity, or event that precedes and sets the stage for the main event
an eruption of sectarian violence that proved to be the prelude to all-out civil war
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2
as in introduction
a short section (as of a book) that leads to or explains the main part
the musical had a brief prelude to get the audience in the proper mood
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prelude
The event will serve as a prelude to the main iHeartCountry Festival show later that evening at 7 p.m. the Moody Center.
—
Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Yet the Southern California scores were a modest prelude to the job in Lebec.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025
The need for a solution became more pressing just today, as the United Nations nuclear watchdog’s board of governors has found Iran in violation of its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years—a possible prelude to the resumption of significant UN sanctions against Iran.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 June 2025
Gentle affectionate gestures usually are the prelude to intimacy, like a hand on your back, a caress on the cheek or even just cuddling in bed.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for prelude
Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025
Yet the Southern California scores were a modest prelude to the job in Lebec.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025
The need for a solution became more pressing just today, as the United Nations nuclear watchdog’s board of governors has found Iran in violation of its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years—a possible prelude to the resumption of significant UN sanctions against Iran.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 12 June 2025
Gentle affectionate gestures usually are the prelude to intimacy, like a hand on your back, a caress on the cheek or even just cuddling in bed.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 17 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for prelude
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prelude
Noun
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She’s fished out of the ocean and revealed gasping for breath in a brief prologue.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
2 July 2025
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Following a prologue describing the episode by the sea, Choi brings us back to Serk’s childhood — only here he’s called Hiroshi, born in Japan to Korean parents.—
Sam Worley,
Vulture,
2 June 2025
Noun
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Spartacus: House of Ashur dropped its first trailer during Saturday's Comic-Con panel, showing off Nick E. Tarabay's return as Ashur and the introduction of the first female gladiator.—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
27 July 2025
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Following the introduction of He Who Remains on Disney+'s Loki, the Avengers project was initially going to revolve around an alternate-timeline variant of the character Kang the Conqueror, played by Jonathan Majors.—
Kelsie Gibson,
People.com,
26 July 2025
Noun
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Today's listen Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The Scripps National Spelling Bee is celebrating its 100th anniversary this week, with preliminaries kicking off last night.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
28 May 2025
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Sports High School Sports News See who qualified from Thursday's preliminaries for the CIFSS Division 1 finals on Saturday at Mt. SAC.—
Dan Albano,
Oc Register,
8 May 2025
Noun
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In a preface to the White House’s proposed draconian downsizing of the American space agency, its acting administrator, Janet Petro, concedes that NASA will be forced to cut away at its ranks of illustrious scientists.—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes.com,
28 June 2025
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To preface, the woman wrote that her husband has waist-length hair.—
Rachel Flynn,
People.com,
26 June 2025
Noun
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Musk does not appear to be backing down from dredging up the Epstein issue on X, despite Trump’s overture.—
Siladitya Ray,
Forbes.com,
25 July 2025
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Iran's response to both the military strikes and diplomatic overtures remains uncertain, as tensions in the region continue to simmer.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 July 2025
Noun
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The report doesn’t explicitly call out the factors underpinning the rise of the everyday millionaire, but some general explanations on a wealthier world are made in the foreword by UBS Global Wealth Management’s Chief Economist Paul Donovan.—
Ashley Lutz,
Fortune,
11 July 2025
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In the report’s foreword, Kevin Vaz, CEO of entertainment at JioStar and FICCI M&E chair, underlined the importance of broadening India’s storytelling landscape beyond traditional production hubs.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
4 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prelude.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prelude. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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