preceded by
immediately preceded
previously preceded
1. The silence was preceded by a loud bang.
一阵响声之后是沉默。
2. These events preceded the revolution.
这些事件发生在革命之前。
3. The calm period preceded the storm.
平静的时期在风暴之前。
A: Did anything precede the announcement?
A：宣布之前有发生什么事吗？
B: Yes, a brief introduction preceded the speech.
B：是的，演讲之前有一个简短的介绍。
1) 在时间上早于
2) 在顺序上先于
3) 在等级上领先于
1. 在……之前发生
e.g.
The darkness was preceded by a flash of light.
黑暗出现之前有一道闪光
verb
1. To come before in time, order, or rank.
Synonym: antedate, herald