PREDATES Synonyms: 8 Similar and Opposite Words

predates

verb

present tense third-person singular of predate

as in precedes

to go or come before in time gunpowder predated the invention of the gun by several centuries

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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 predates The National’s Daniel Bardsley, who once lived there, writes about a building that predates almost everything now surrounding it and provided an affordable home to thousands of residents over five decades. — Inzamam Rashid, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026 Sources said this deal predates the arrival of Austin’s new sporting director Khaled El-Ahmad, as the team was continuing summer work as El-Ahmad took over officially from Minnesota this week. — Tom Bogert, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 Binam's immigration case, however, predates the current campaign for her release. — Zachary Bynum, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026 Through the end of February, head to the Jepson Center to see highlights from the permanent collection of American Revolution pieces (Savannah predates that war by 42 years). — Carolanne Griffith Roberts, Southern Living, 18 Aug. 2026 How Baby Teeth Put Life360 Inside The Plot Oliver’s relationship with Life360 predates the deal. — Maureen Kerr, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 The desire for clarity about one’s body is an old one that predates the medicine that both Leja and Reich study. — T.m. Brown, CNN Money, 16 Aug. 2026 But the association of messy dinner parties and the number 13 predates even Christianity by some thousands of years, with an early mention in Norse mythology. — Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Aug. 2026 Interestingly, one of the most famous of these acts predates the origin of the term lame duck. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 Aug. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for predates

precedes

Verb

The parade precedes the Rose Bowl, one of college football’s biggest bowl games.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Aug. 2026
The brawl between the high-society wannabe and the wealthy socialite was inspired by the era that the Apple TV comedy precedes.

— Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of precedes

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“Predates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/predates. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of predates

verb

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