in preceding days

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "in preceding days" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to days that have occurred before the current day or a specific event. Example: "The weather has been unusually warm in preceding days, leading to an early bloom of flowers."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

11 human-written examples

It was also a reaction, Sharon advisers said, to attacks on Israelis in preceding days.

The New York Times

"There were a number of positions where the execution wasn't quite what it had been in preceding days".

The New York Times - Sports

The next day the Cuban doctors, who had seen five dozen cases of acute diarrhea in preceding days, notified the Haitian Health Ministry that something was terribly wrong.

The New York Times

Unlike every opinion poll published in preceding days, all of which showed the country heading for another hung parliament, this was the record of where voters had actually placed their crosses in the secrecy of the polling booths.

The Guardian

Tumi's stock was up 2percentt in Friday's trading session, though its stock was up about 35percentt for the week since rumors of the tie-up had been circulating in preceding days.

The Washington Post

Mr. Avenatti was arrested last Monday afternoon in New York's new Hudson Yards development, outside the offices of Nike's law firm, Boies Schiller Flexner, with which he had talked repeatedly in preceding days.

The New York Times - Sports

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

49 human-written examples

Despite the momentous events in Eastern Europe and East Germany in the preceding days and weeks, we had not been expecting it.

The New York Times

Tens of thousands of protesters had taken to the streets in the preceding days in frustration over Mr Saleh's refusal to step down.

Independent

The statement claimed Revolutionary Punishment had targeted the offices of two mobile phone networks, two Emirati banks, a KFC, and dozens of other businesses in 47 attacks in the preceding days.

Vice

Unfortunately for Cook, very little in the announcement was surprising thanks to major leaks in the preceding days.

The Guardian - Tech

Friends and family members were insistent that Nisman had not seemed depressed before his death, and that he had reported receiving death threats in the preceding days.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "in preceding days" to clearly indicate a period immediately before a specific event or point in time, ensuring context is well-established so that the reader understands the reference point.

Common error

Avoid using "in preceding days" when simpler alternatives like "yesterday" or "the day before" would suffice. Overusing it can make your writing sound overly formal or convoluted.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "in preceding days" functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying verbs or clauses by specifying the timing of an action or state. As Ludwig AI suggests, it indicates when something occurred relative to a later event.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Wiki

10%

Academia

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "in preceding days" serves as an adverbial phrase to denote a period immediately before a particular event. Ludwig AI affirms its grammatical correctness and usability. While considered neutral in register, its use should be deliberate, avoiding overuse in simple narratives. The phrase is most commonly found in News & Media and Scientific contexts. Consider alternatives like "in the prior days" or "in the previous days" for slight variations. Its communicative purpose, according to Ludwig, is to provide temporal context, clarifying the sequence of events, as reflected in the examples. The phrase has a neutral formality.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

in the immediately preceding days

Adds "immediately" for extra emphasis on the short period.

in the prior days

Replaces "preceding" with "prior", maintaining the same meaning with a slight variation in word choice.

in the previous days

Substitutes "preceding" with "previous", offering a common synonym with virtually identical meaning.

in the days just before

Adds the word "just" for slight emphasis on the closeness in time.

in the days before

Changes the structure to emphasize the days leading up to an event.

in the foregoing days

Employs a more formal alternative, "foregoing", which serves the same function as "preceding".

in the days leading up to

Adds emphasis to the build-up to a particular event or date.

in the immediate past

Uses a more general term to refer to the recent period before a specific time.

in the earlier days

Uses "earlier" to replace "preceding", changing the nuance slightly to refer to a time before the present.

in the recent past

Similar to "in the immediate past" but covers a slightly broader, less defined timeframe.

FAQs

How can I use "in preceding days" in a sentence?

You can use "in preceding days" to refer to events or actions that occurred shortly before a particular event. For example, "The team had been practicing intensely in preceding days before the championship game."

What are some alternatives to "in preceding days"?

Some alternatives include "in the prior days", "in the previous days", or "in the days before", depending on the context.

Is "in preceding days" formal or informal?

The phrase "in preceding days" is generally considered neutral to slightly formal. Simpler alternatives may be preferred in very informal contexts.

How does "in preceding days" differ from "in recent days"?

"In preceding days" usually refers to a period immediately before a specific event, while "in recent days" refers to a more general timeframe in the recent past. The former is more specific in its temporal relation.