"That's a preliminary communication, meaning we don't quite know the answer yet, but boy it looks like we are on to something big."

VOA: standard.2010.03.25

In every interview you reach a point when you have to give a preliminary, short answer to a question.

FORBES: Move To Your Message Points -Media Training

Lawyers for the three defendants also sought a preliminary ruling that there was effectively no case to answer.

BBC: Sinn Fein legal bid to stop libel action by Declan Gormley