before
adverb or adjective
, bē-\
Definition of before
(Entry 1 of 3)
before
prepositionDefinition of before (Entry 2 of 3)
before
conjunctionDefinition of before (Entry 3 of 3)
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Synonyms & Antonyms for before
Synonyms: Adverb or adjective
afore [chiefly dialect], ahead, already, antecedently, anteriorly, beforehand, earlier, formerly, preliminarily, previously
Synonyms: Preposition
afore [chiefly dialect], ahead of, ere, fore (also 'fore) [chiefly dialect], of, previous to, prior to, to
Antonyms: Adverb or adjective
after, afterward (or afterwards), later
Antonyms: Preposition
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Examples of before in a Sentence
Preposition
We arrived shortly before six o'clock. He left just before sunrise. I've never seen her so happy before now. Call me before your arrival. She arrived the day before yesterday. Why haven't you ever helped me before now? Your name is listed before mine. You'll see my house just before the bank and after the school. The Great Plains stretched endlessly before them. The championship fight took place before a crowd of thousands.Conjunction
He left long before morning came. Say goodbye before you go. Call me before you arrive. I finished the exam before he did. It was not long before he arrived.
Recent Examples on the Web: Adverb or adjective
Dylan, 78, has played the Rave before, but it's been several years. — Piet Levy, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Bob Dylan is coming to the Rave in Milwaukee Oct. 26," 9 Sep. 2019 Then his performance on fight night had a record crowd at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., chanting his name like never before. — Mike Bohn, MMA Junkie, "Nate Diaz vs. Jorge Masvidal to headline UFC 244 in New York," 7 Sep. 2019 Never before had the Bears been held to three points or less in the season opener at home and this was in front of a national television audience with a huge crowd in Grant Park watching an offensive implosion. — Brad Biggs, chicagotribune.com, "Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts on Bears’ 10-3 loss to the Packers in Week 1," 6 Sep. 2019 That had never before happened in the previous 117 seasons. — Dave Hyde, sun-sentinel.com, "Hyde10: Ten national reactions to the Dolphins’ strategy and season," 5 Sep. 2019 Given that backdrop, the flagging earnings picture points to three big problems: The S&P is only able to keep EPS flat or rising a touch by buying back shares at rates never before witnessed. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, "Corporate Earnings are Flatlining—and That’s Terrible News for the Stock Market," 31 Aug. 2019 Women are experiencing the world like never before — and in the company of other women. — Heather Balogh Rochfort, The Know, "Why women-only adventure travel is surging," 31 Aug. 2019 But the blood test had colored something he’d never before considered: For years, his body hadn’t been operating at its full potential. — Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, "USC quarterback JT Daniels is ready for a big season after a summer of change," 30 Aug. 2019 Employees aren’t protected, either Even for workers who are considered employees, technology allows employers to take advantage of the gaps in workplace laws like never before. — Jeffrey Hirsch, The Conversation, "Worker-protection laws aren’t ready for an automated future," 28 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Preposition
Levy believes it’s only a matter of time before others — including many former cannabis executives — realize the potential of psychedelics and start to look for investors. — Bloomberg, The Mercury News, "First pot, then magic mushrooms? Decriminalization is spreading," 18 June 2019 Texas Tech took a 5-3 loss to Michigan before an exciting 5-4 win over Arkansas on Tuesday. — Jr Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Former Wisconsin prep products and Brewers draft picks are plentiful at the College World Series," 18 June 2019 Photo: Eun-Young Jeong/The Wall Street Journal Tents must be removed by 7 p.m.—two hours earlier than before and an hour before sunset in early summer—and the campers are confined to certain areas in the parks. — Eun-young Jeong, WSJ, "Newest Camping Adventure: During the Day and in the City," 18 June 2019 The Padres have 17 games remaining before the break. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Padres notes: Mejia back, has chance to play more; the new Perdomo; Castillo update," 18 June 2019 Stewart appeared before the committee on Tuesday to ask Congress to extend the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund, which covers healthcare for survivors and first responders. — Rachel Yang, EW.com, "Jon Stewart reunites with Stephen Colbert to call out Mitch McConnell on 9/11 bill," 18 June 2019 The video shows the child walk to another aisle before coming back with a large box containing the doll. — Bree Burkitt, azcentral, "Phoenix police release footage of family in dollar store preceding incident seen in viral video," 18 June 2019 Others seem a little shocked that At Home is putting out the decor fourth months before Halloween. — Sarah Horne, Cincinnati.com, "Halloween in June? At Home is rolling out the decorations and people have thoughts," 18 June 2019 The model previously dated indie rocker St. Vincent before the pair split in 2016. — Joelle Goldstein, PEOPLE.com, "Cara Delevingne Confirms Relationship with Ashley Benson as the Pair Mark Their 1-Year Anniversary," 18 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'before.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.