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.

Anthropic reports earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

The $1 trillion Saudi sovereign-wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund, yanked back spending and hiring in numerous areas and sold much of its U.S. stock portfolio, even before the war.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

The crown prince’s vision hinges on using oil wealth and foreign investment to jump-start new economic sectors, from tourism to mining to data centers, before the world transitions to renewable energy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026

Caroline Dubois floored and bloodied Terri Harper before outpointing her British rival to become the unified lightweight world champion at London's Olympia.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

I type it into my phone and proofread it three times before I hit send.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

before

Example Sentences

Related Words