You're staring at a blank page, or maybe a half-finished lyric, and you're stuck on that one word. It happens to the best of us. "Before" is one of those workhorse words in the English language—it’s functional, it sets the scene, and it pops up everywhere from high-stakes legal contracts to Taylor Swift bridge sections. But finding a word that rhymes with before that doesn't feel cheesy? That’s the real trick.
Honestly, English is a bit of a weirdo when it comes to the "ore" sound. We have a ton of options, but half of them sound like they belong in a 19th-century sea shanty. If you're trying to write something modern, you have to be picky. You can't just throw "heretofore" into a pop song and expect people to keep dancing.
Why the "Ore" Sound is a Songwriter's Best Friend (and Worst Enemy)
The phonetics here are pretty straightforward. We are looking for the open "o" sound followed by a liquid "r." In linguistic terms, this is often categorized under the $ɔːr$ phoneme. It’s a powerful, resonant sound. It carries. That’s why it’s so prevalent in anthems.
Think about it.
War. Glory. Shore. These are big, heavy words. When you use a word that rhymes with before, you’re usually tapping into a specific kind of emotional gravity. But because these rhymes are so "perfect"—meaning the vowel and the final consonant match exactly—they can sometimes feel a bit predictable. If you rhyme "before" with "door" for the millionth time, your audience’s brain might just tune out. It’s like eating plain toast. It works, but it’s not exactly a culinary revelation.
The Heavy Hitters: Common Rhymes You'll Actually Use
Let's look at the stuff that actually works in daily conversation or writing. You’ve got your basics. More, door, floor, sore, and tore.
More is probably the most frequent partner. It’s the bread and butter of the rhyming world. "I wanted more than I had before." It’s simple. It’s clean. It doesn’t distract from the message.
Then you have floor. This one is great for imagery. It grounds a scene—literally. Whether you're describing a messy kitchen or a dance club, "floor" provides a physical space that "before" (a temporal word) often needs for contrast.
But what about adore? That’s where things get a bit more "theatrical." It’s a high-energy word. Use it when the emotion justifies it, but be careful. If you're writing a gritty poem about urban decay and you drop "adore," it’s going to stick out like a sore thumb. Or a sore toe. (See what I did there?)
Getting Fancy: Multi-Syllable Rhymes
If you want to sound a bit more sophisticated, you have to move past the single-syllable stuff. This is where your vocabulary actually gets to flex.
- Ignore: This is a fantastic rhyme because it introduces conflict. To "ignore" what came "before" is a classic narrative trope. It suggests a character trying to move on, or perhaps someone being reckless.
- Explore: Perfect for travel writing or self-discovery themes. It has an optimistic lift to it.
- Implore: Okay, now we're getting into the drama. You don't "implore" someone to pass the salt. You "implore" them to stay. It’s heavy. Use it sparingly.
- Restore: This is a great "healing" word. Restoring what was there before. It feels satisfying and cyclical.
The Slant Rhyme: The Secret Weapon of Modern Artists
If you really want to rank on the "cool" scale, you need to stop looking for perfect rhymes. Perfect rhymes are for Hallmark cards. Modern artists—everyone from Kendrick Lamar to Phoebe Bridgers—rely heavily on slant rhymes (or near rhymes). These are words that share a similar sound but aren't identical.
They keep the listener on their toes. They feel more like natural speech.
Consider words like:
- Alone (The "o" sound is similar, though the ending is different).
- Warm (The "or" is there, but the "m" softens the landing).
- Roam.
- Born.
When you use a slant rhyme with "before," you avoid that "sing-songy" trap that makes poetry feel dated. It’s subtle. It’s smart. Honestly, it’s just better writing.
Common Misconceptions About Rhyming
People think rhyming is just about the ending of the word. It's not. It's about the stress.
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"Before" is an iambic word. The stress is on the second syllable: be-FORE. To make a rhyme really "hit," you ideally want another word with the same stress pattern if it's multi-syllabic. Restore (re-STORE) works perfectly because the rhythm matches. Commodore (COM-mo-dore), on the other hand, has the stress at the beginning. If you try to force those two together, the rhythm will feel "off-kilter," even if the endings match.
This is something a lot of amateur poets miss. They get the sounds right but the "beat" wrong. It ends up feeling clunky.
Words to Avoid (Unless You're Writing a Period Piece)
There is a list of words that technically rhyme with before but should probably stay in the 1700s.
Heretofore. Wherefore. Forswore. Troubadour.
Unless you are literally writing a play about a lute player in a medieval court, just don't. It feels forced. It feels like you're trying too hard to be "literary." Good writing usually feels effortless, even if it took you three hours to find the right word.
The "Oar" vs. "Ore" Confusion
Just a quick sanity check for the writers out there: remember that homophones are your friends. Oar (like for a boat), ore (like from a mine), and or (the conjunction) all rhyme perfectly with before.
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- "The rower grabbed the oar, just like he did before."
- "He dug for silver ore, more than ever before."
These aren't the most exciting rhymes, but they are technically perfect. Sometimes the simplest tool is the right one for the job.
How to Use Rhymes to Boost Your Content’s "Stickiness"
There’s a reason why slogans rhyme. It’s called the Rhyme-as-Reason Effect. It’s a cognitive bias where people are more likely to believe a statement is true if it rhymes. It’s wild, right? But it’s a real thing studied by linguists and psychologists.
If you're writing marketing copy or trying to create a catchy brand name, using a rhyme for "before" can actually make your message more persuasive.
"More than before."
"The shore you've seen before."
It sounds authoritative. It sounds settled.
Actionable Steps for Your Writing
If you're currently stuck, stop using a rhyming dictionary for five minutes and try these steps instead:
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- Identify the Tone: Is this a sad moment? Use "sore" or "tore." Is it hopeful? Use "explore" or "soar."
- Check the Meter: Say the sentence out loud. If you have to trip over your tongue to get to the rhyme, the rhyme is wrong.
- Try the "Subtract One" Method: Take the word you found and see if there's a simpler version. Instead of "furthermore," can you just use "more"? Usually, the answer is yes.
- Look for Internal Rhymes: You don't always have to put the rhyme at the end of the line. Putting a word like "floor" in the middle of a sentence that ends with "before" creates a nice, subtle sonic texture without being too "in your face."
- Don't Be Afraid of Silence: Sometimes the best rhyme is no rhyme at all. If a rhyme feels forced, cut it. Your readers will thank you.
Writing isn't just about following rules; it's about the "vibe" (to use a very non-technical term). When you're looking for what rhymes with before, you're really looking for a way to connect two ideas. Pick the word that helps the story, not just the one that fits the sound.
Start by listing your top three "emotional" goals for the piece. If you want to convey nostalgia, words like yore or shore might work. If you're going for something aggressive, war or bore (as in, to drill a hole) fit better. Once you align the sound with the intent, the writing starts to flow much more naturally.