as in early
before the usual or expected time
a baby born three weeks prematurely
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Recent Examples of prematurely
One deputy, Ramos, prematurely took Cardenas from his intake booth, despite clinicians having activated a red warning light on the booth that barred Cardenas’ removal before his mental health plan was completed, the lawsuit alleged.
—
Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
Four astronauts are now en route home from the International Space Station, marking the first time NASA has brought a crew home prematurely amid a health concern.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 14 Jan. 2026
Schettino had abandoned ship prematurely while 300 passengers were stuck in the sinking ship.
—Lorenzino Estrada, AZCentral.com, 13 Jan. 2026
By eliminating heavy abrasion, jeans are less lightly to breakdown prematurely.
—Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 12 Jan. 2026
On the other hand, Pedroia’s career was prematurely cut short by injuries, so his career numbers fall short of what have historically been considered the minimum Hall of Fame benchmarks.
—Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 11 Jan. 2026
Both hospitals provide on-site neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) for babies who are critically ill or born prematurely.
—Memorialcare Medical Group, Oc Register, 10 Jan. 2026
However, the 29-year-old tore an ACL in the Commanders’ 38-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at home, ending his year prematurely after just nine games.
—Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 9 Jan. 2026
Bleach may also cause tools to rust prematurely if it isn’t rinsed off properly, and drips stain your clothes.
—Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prematurely
early
Adverb
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In danger of being blown out early, the Panthers actually took the lead — twice — in an extraordinary fourth quarter that kept viewers glued to their TVs around the country.—
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The Panthers fell behind 14-0 early, but stormed back to take a 24-20 lead on Hubbard's second touchdown of the run game early in the fourth quarter.—
Cite this Entry
“Prematurely.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prematurely. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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