How to Use before in a Sentence

before

1 of 2 adverb or adjective
Definition of beforenext
Synonyms for beforenext
  • Jamie holds up the gold the thieves found on Mrs. Bug (Sarah Collier) the night before.
    — Lincee Ray, EW.com, 1 July 2023
  • The father said the boy’s mother had placed him in the cell the day before, for about three minutes.
    — Louis Casiano, Fox News, 1 July 2023
  • Goods prices, from used cars to meats, saw declines compared to the month before.
    — Abha Bhattarai, Washington Post, 12 July 2023
  • He’s never had to rebuild a program from the ground up before.
    — J. Brady McCollough, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2023
  • Her voice sounds every bit as cool and matter-of-fact as before.
    — Chris Richards, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024
  • Refrigerate the day before or freeze them for up to three weeks.
    — Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 13 Dec. 2023
  • After 20 years in the county, Hilleary has seen drought like this before.
    — Justin Wm. Moyer, Washington Post, 10 Sep. 2023
  • She’s performed at the venue before, but rather than hit the clubs in the neighborhood, lately she’s been getting to work.
    — Olive Leatherwood, Vogue, 30 Nov. 2023
  • The quote is a famous line from Frank Sinatra that the Law & Order star has shared on his socials before.
    — Kelly Wynne, Peoplemag, 16 Feb. 2024
  • Phillips' last ultrasound had been one week and three days before, and the fetus had a heartbeat then.
    — Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 14 Dec. 2023
  • There’s more interest [in my life] than there was before.
    — Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 27 Oct. 2023
  • Get ready to see the Italian Riviera like never before.
    — Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 13 Dec. 2023
  • And after seeing it, a lick from your best friend means more than ever before.
    — Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 18 Aug. 2023
  • Their future is surely filled with more growth for their brand and even bigger doors to open than before.
    — Essence, 27 Oct. 2023
  • Retail sales across the U.S. continued to grow in June, yet at a slower pace than before.
    — Benzinga, Detroit Free Press, 22 July 2023
  • Having turned 34 the day before, Dupuy was set to be the council’s youngest member and only woman.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 25 Mar. 2024
  • Ana told the outlet that Lizbeth and her mother had just moved to Texas from Nebraska a year-and-a-half before.
    — Liam Quinn, Peoplemag, 14 Dec. 2023
  • Mayer was in Tokyo following a performance at the Blue Note there the night before.
    — Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 1 Jan. 2024
  • Weeks before, the Danish queen had been the first monarch to address the pandemic on television.
    — Anders Christian Madsen, Vogue, 1 Jan. 2024
  • Although my hair may appear fresh and clean, I'm left feeling like my scalp is even more grimy than before.
    — Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 16 Oct. 2023
  • Netflix has overcome much worse before in the recent past.
    — Paolo Confino, Fortune, 12 Jan. 2024
  • Thicker cuts will scorch before cooking all the way through, while thinner cuts of steak, pork chops, and fish filets will cook all the way through and get a little crispy.
    — Zoe Denenberg, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2023
  • She’d been kicked out of the Brother Francis Shelter before, put on the 86′d list for yelling at a caseworker and getting in his face.
    — Michelle Theriault Boots, Anchorage Daily News, 22 July 2023
  • His sister, who left the family’s extremist faith years before, shows up to try and talk him out of his plans.
    — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024
  • She's gone short before, most notably at the 2023 Met Gala, where her hair was curled into an Old Hollywood style with loc roots.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 25 Mar. 2024
  • Its total revenue jumped 20% from a year before, more than forecast.
    — Stan Choe, Fortune, 16 Feb. 2024
  • Read our layoff survival guide to get step-by-step advice on what to do before, during and after you’re let go.
    — Danielle Abril, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024
  • It had never before been legally restricted in the U.S.
    — Laurie Marhoefer, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Sep. 2023
  • Pregame promotion is for orders placed one hour before and up to three hours after the start of each game on Mondays and Thursdays.
    — Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 29 Aug. 2023
  • Wash your hands with soap and water often before and after contact with pigs.
    — Kristen Jordan Shamus, Detroit Free Press, 5 Aug. 2023
Advertisement

before

2 of 2 preposition
  • You'll see my house just before the bank and after the school.
  • Why haven't you ever helped me before now?
  • The championship fight took place before a crowd of thousands.
  • Your name is listed before mine.
  • Call me before your arrival.
  • He left just before sunrise.
  • I've never seen her so happy before now.
  • She arrived the day before yesterday.
  • We arrived shortly before six o'clock.
  • The Great Plains stretched endlessly before them.
  • Click the coupon box before checking out to receive the full 69 percent off.
    — Clara McMahon, Peoplemag, 4 Dec. 2023
  • But the gun lobby isn’t rushing to defend the case that's now before the Supreme Court.
    — Marina Pitofsky, USA TODAY, 12 July 2023
  • The Nets went 43-32 before getting swept in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
    — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 19 Feb. 2024
  • The seventh-year pro played four seasons for the Rams before cashing in and signing a huge contract with the Browns in 2021.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2023
  • Yorke would go on to win a further two Premier Leagues with the Red Devils before leaving the club in the summer of 2002.
    — Zayn Nabbi, CNN, 2 Mar. 2024
  • Turpin ran to the sideline before securing the football to take home as a souvenir.
    — Kristi Scales, Dallas News, 11 Sep. 2023
  • But the world will never know what was happening before that.
    — Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 30 Aug. 2023
  • Jackie laid her first egg of the season just before 5 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 25, in Big Bear — and it was caught on camera.
    — Helena Wegner, Sacramento Bee, 26 Jan. 2024
  • Cruising round-trip from Rome, the ship calls on Naples before exploring Greece.
    — Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024
  • Lewis, who would go on to record four receptions for 34 yards and the score, caught the ball before the end zone and had to avoid a couple of Warhawks defenders.
    — Breven Honda, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Sep. 2023
  • The year before that, a deputy was caught on a security video grabbing the backside of a teen girl at a fast-food restaurant.
    — Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Aug. 2023
  • Even before taking the stand, Trump pushed at those limitations as the judge and lawyers for both sides discussed what he could be asked.
    — Jake Offenhartz, Jennifer Peltz, arkansasonline.com, 26 Jan. 2024
  • This was just before Napster, when anyone who wanted that song had to spend $20 for that whole soundtrack.
    — Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2023
  • For the best flavor, lychees shouldn't be peeled until just before eaten or served.
    — Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 July 2023
  • Ahead, find 30 of the best songs about family that will have you in your feelings — so make sure to grab some tissues before giving them a spin.
    — Samantha Olson, Seventeen, 17 May 2023
  • Ask her about the best primer and paint for furniture; how to properly sand before painting; and the pros and cons of spraying vs. brushing.
    — Jura Koncius, Washington Post, 21 Sep. 2023
  • The judge ordered the attorneys to exchange the names of their expert witness 60 days before the trial.
    — Tracy Neal, Arkansas Online, 19 June 2023
  • Bland is shown putting on a ski mask, pulling out a pistol then cocking the weapon before entering the apartment where Marks, a father of five, was killed.
    — John Lynch, Arkansas Online, 1 July 2023
  • Give Andonovski his due here too: if Mewis missed that shot, costing the Americans the game, he may have been fired before leaving the field.
    — Sean Gregory, Time, 6 Aug. 2023
  • This could be a moment for Swift to use her powerful platform—or at least for her fans to push the issue before the public.
    — Amanda Hoover, WIRED, 26 Jan. 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'before.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: