ALREADY Synonyms: 30 Similar and Opposite Words

already

adverb

ȯl-ˈre-dē

Definition of already

as in earlier

so as to precede something in order of time when we got back to the house, the movers had already left

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of already As of noon Wednesday, roughly 10% of registered, active voters have already cast their ballots, either through mail balloting or at the early voting sites that opened Monday across the region. — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026 The National Weather Service in Flagstaff didn’t issue a tornado warning before impact, but issued a severe thunderstorm warning after radar suggests the tornado was already on the ground. — Matthew Cappucci, Washington Post, 22 Oct. 2026 Likely voters who plan to vote early this year -- or who already have voted early or by mail -- supported Democrats over Republicans in congressional vote choice by 26 points in our ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026 Even when the police came, he was already done having his medical emergency. — Jonah Kaplan, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for already

Recent Examples of Synonyms for already

Adverb

Burrow's 13-yard scoring pass to Tee Higgins put Cincinnati ahead to stay.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
An October 15 Datafolha survey put Lula ahead among women by 49% to 40%, while Flávio led among men by 52% to 40%.

— Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of ahead

Adverb

Vucic’s tenure saw Serbia go in a more pro-Western direction than previously, playing a delicate balancing act between a plethora of actors often directly at odds with each other.

— Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 27 Oct. 2026
Lula previously spent more than a year in prison on corruption convictions that were eventually annulled.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of previously

Adverb

Six of the injured are under 18 years old and the youngest is 11 years old, Chief Lawrence Revell of the Tallahassee Police Department said at a press conference early Sunday morning.

— Samantha Cookinham, NBC news, 25 Oct. 2026
Brandon Miller, he of the $209 million contract extension earlier this week, started very cold and never stopped.

— Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of early

Adverb

Trump has also called off plans to renew attacks on Iran before.

— Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Questions about the video will likely shadow Ramaswamy, a biotech billionaire who previously ran for president but has never before held public office, in the final two weeks of the contest.

— Julie Carr Smyth, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of before

Browse Nearby Words

alps

already

alright

See all Nearby Words

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Style

“Already.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/already. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of already

adverb

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