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.

She has told me that when she was released, a few weeks before the shah’s overthrow, I didn’t recognize her.

From The Wall Street Journal

You and I have had an ongoing conversation for several years, and I’ve asked this before.

From Salon

He moved to London as a teenager, initially working on building sites before winning a place at the London School of Economics.

From BBC

Just before the end of class, Jackson repeated a poll that he had taken at the start of class.

From The Wall Street Journal

These methods allow scientists to predict how molecules might behave inside the body before moving on to real world testing.

From Science Daily