before

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.

It was not long before he was installed as captain.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

“Having experience of the president’s shock and awe style of negotiation before, I would suspect that the attack will be called off at the last second,” said David Stritch, currency analyst at Caxton.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

“Last time we were a little bit late before acting,” Wunsch said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

Scores increased from an average of 2.37 before the retreat to 3.02 afterward.

From Science Daily • Apr. 7, 2026

Dr. Crowchild puts a bottle of Perrier in front of me and another on the table for herself before she sits across from me in the wingback.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam