Synonyms of overture

1. overture, music: usage: orchestral music played at the beginning of an opera or oratorio
2. preliminary, overture, prelude, origin, origination, inception: usage: something that serves as a preceding event or introduces what follows; "training is a necessary preliminary to employment"; "drinks were the overture to dinner"
3. overture, advance, approach, feeler, suggestion, proposition, proffer: usage: a tentative suggestion designed to elicit the reactions of others; "she rejected his advances"