prewarn
Give advance notice
To prewarn is to warn in advance—a redundancy, since warnings by nature come before the thing warned about.
The word emphasizes earliness or adds formality: We were prewarned about the inspection.
Forewarned serves the same function and is more established.
Warning or watchfulness
- heads-upInformal advance warning
- tip-offAdvance secret warning
- advance noticePrior notification of events
- briefingConcise information session
advisory · inform · caution · notify · apprise · clue in · give notice · signal
State of awaiting something
- foreknowledgeAwareness of future events
- predictionForecast of coming events
- prescienceKnowledge of future events
- premonitionAdvance sense of future events
forecast · foreshadowing · portent · omen · harbinger · augury · prognostication · foreboding
Precaution against harm
- preventiveMeant to stop trouble
- protective measureAction preventing harm
- preparationArranging things in advance
- contingencyUncertain possible event
readiness · proactive · anticipatory · defensive · preemptive · risk mitigation · fail-safe · backup plan
alert
Warning or watchfulness
- heads-upInformal advance warning
- tip-offAdvance secret warning
- advance noticePrior notification of events
briefing · advisory · inform · caution · notify · apprise · clue in · give notice · signal · flag
anticipation
State of awaiting something
- foreknowledgeAwareness of future events
- predictionForecast of coming events
- prescienceKnowledge of future events
premonition · forecast · foreshadowing · portent · omen · harbinger · augury · prognostication · foreboding
safeguard
Precaution against harm
- preventiveMeant to stop trouble
- protective measureAction preventing harm
- preparationArranging things in advance
contingency · readiness · proactive · anticipatory · defensive · preemptive · risk mitigation · fail-safe · backup plan · safety net
prewarnsurprise
Unexpected event causing astonishment
ambush · blindside · catch off guard · catch unawares · take by surprise