Ahead is a word that denotes the direction or position in front of something. It is commonly used when referring to time or distance. However, there are different synonyms that can be used to replace ahead, such as in advance, forward, leading, first, precede, front, onward, ahead of the curve and beyond. In advance refers to something that is happening or being done before the expected time or schedule. Forward refers to movement in a particular direction, especially in a forward direction. Leading means being at the forefront or leading position of something. Precede means to come before something in time or order. The other alternatives add variation to the use of the word ahead in different contexts.