Synonyms of before

before 1 of 2

preposition

1

as in to

earlier than

since I'm a faster runner, I got there before him

Synonyms & Similar Words

• to
• until
• till
• of
• prior to
• previous to
• in advance of
• ahead of
• ere
• fore
• afore
• up to

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• after
• following
• since
• next
• next to

2

as in against

preceding in space

the children always insisted on running before their parents

Synonyms & Similar Words

• against
• in front of
• ahead of
• in advance of
• afore
• fore

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• after
• following

before

2 of 2

adverb

bi-ˈfȯr 

as in earlier

so as to precede something in order of time

their arrival was completely expected because a messenger had gone before

Synonyms & Similar Words

• earlier
• ahead
• already
• early
• previously
• beforehand
• now
• afore
• shortly
• preliminarily
• soon
• first
• anteriorly
• in advance
• formerly
• antecedently
• prematurely
• before long
• first off
• a priori
• presently
• erelong

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• later
• afterward
• after
• subsequently
• next
• behind
• by and by

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of before

Preposition

Jim Woolery was a dealmaker at the white-shoe law firm Cravath before leaving to run M&A at JPMorgan. — Ellen Dimauro, semafor.com, 7 Oct. 2026

The South Asian country meets nearly 85% of its fuel needs via imports, with the Strait of Hormuz being a key supply route before the war. — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 7 Oct. 2026

Adverb

The first two lines in each stanza are about the promise of the season, before giving way to its end, showing the necessity of what came before in order for the next season to begin. — Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2026

The rumba is much slower and more controlled than Ezra’s had to do before, which is a challenge at first, but my dude clearly gets the hang of it by showtime. — Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026

Phrases Containing before

• before long