before

[bih-fawr, -fohr] / bɪˈfɔr, -ˈfoʊr /

ADVERB

earlier

Synonyms

STRONGEST

ahead back previously since sooner

WEAK

afore aforetime ante antecedently anteriorly before present ere fore former formerly forward heretofore in advance in days of yore in front in the old days in the past past precendently previous up to now

Antonyms

WEAK

after afterward behind later

PREPOSITION

earlier than

Synonyms

STRONGEST

since

WEAK

ahead of ante antecedent to anterior to ere in advance of in front of preceding previous to prior to

Antonyms

WEAK

after afterward behind later

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

before

That’s the pretense that brought Anthea Hartig, an historian and the director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, before a House committee on Tuesday.

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026

Smriti Mandhana and captain Meg Lanning put on 33 for the opening wicket, before the former was trapped lbw by Kapp for 17.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

Shares of IBM slid 2.5% in premarket trading after falling more than 2% during Wednesday’s session before the company reported results for the three months that ended June 30.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026

So I drink all of my nutrients on show days before singing, and then after the show I will eat.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026

I’ll grab coffee with fellow classical musicians; we’ll exchange tips on how to avoid nerves before an upcoming performance.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

before

Example Sentences

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