Able was I ere I saw him.
Source: tatoeba (307812)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Keep "ere" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "ere" intact in the sentence you are editing.
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
After choosing a replacement for "ere", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "ere" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
16 total sentences available.
Able was I ere I saw him.
Source: tatoeba (307812)
In the act of offering up his last prayer ere he made up his mind to float and be eaten, he saw a man look over the quarter of the brig : he raised both his hands ; he jumped himself up in the water, and, by the singularity of his motions fortunately attracted notice.
Source: tatoeba (1803861)
Indeed, they had never passed the grotto without leaving some token of respect. In the morning when they led their flocks to pasture, and again in the evening ere they started home, they paid worship to the Deities, and presented either a flower, a green bough, some fruit, or a libation of milk, as an offering; and this piety, as we shall see presently, had its reward.
Source: tatoeba (6212617)
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."
Source: tatoeba (6399693)
Showing 4 of 16 available sentences.
Closest matches include already, ante, before, before, before all.
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.