1 C1 neutral
To send a radio message in advance to a destination or person to alert or inform them.
"The pilot radioed ahead to the control tower to report the mechanical issue before landing."
inseparable
radio ahead
C1 neutral inseparable intransitive
To send a message by radio to someone or somewhere in advance, typically to alert them or prepare them for something.
In plain English
To use a radio to warn or inform someone ahead of time — before you arrive or something happens.
What does "radio ahead" mean?
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 C1 neutral
In a convoy or field operation, to send a radio message to units further ahead on a route.
"The patrol leader radioed ahead to the forward unit to warn them about the washed-out road."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To radio (communicate by radio) ahead — to send a message forward in advance.
Actually means
To use a radio to warn or inform someone ahead of time — before you arrive or something happens.
Usage tip
Used in military, aviation, maritime, emergency services, and other contexts where two-way radio communication is standard. Implies sending a message in advance to prepare the receiving party. Becoming less common as radio communication is replaced by digital or satellite communication, but still found in specialist contexts and fiction.
Words that pair with "radio ahead"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
base headquarters camp airport rescue position
How to conjugate "radio ahead"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
radio ahead
I/you/we/they
3rd person
radios ahead
he/she/it
Past simple
radioed ahead
yesterday
Past participle
radioed ahead
have + pp
-ing form
radioing ahead
continuous
Hear "radio ahead" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "radio ahead" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
Jump to every phrasal verb built on the same verb, particle, or level.