as in to anticipate
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the strife in Bloody Kansas in the 1850s adumbrated the civil war that would follow
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Recent Examples of adumbrate
In between, works by contemporaries complicate superficial ideas about his meteoric genius, and small, delicate drawings teem with an abundance of ideas — paintings never made, thoughts adumbrated then abandoned.
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Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2019
Nothing in America’s tepid 19th-century contributions to European classical music adumbrated it; nor did the homely and sometimes hokey popular songs of Stephen Foster.
—Heather Mac Donald, National Review, 22 Aug. 2019
The helicopter crash, on the other hand, is a narrative dead end, merely adumbrating the portrait that Mr. Davenport will draw of Mr. Bezos as unflappable.
—Randall Stross, WSJ, 15 Apr. 2018
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2019
Nothing in America’s tepid 19th-century contributions to European classical music adumbrated it; nor did the homely and sometimes hokey popular songs of Stephen Foster.
—Heather Mac Donald, National Review, 22 Aug. 2019
The helicopter crash, on the other hand, is a narrative dead end, merely adumbrating the portrait that Mr. Davenport will draw of Mr. Bezos as unflappable.
—Randall Stross, WSJ, 15 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adumbrate
Verb
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Predictions already anticipate massive sales, but Wall Street’s estimates are wide-ranging: Morgan Stanley predicts the humanoid robot population will be 40,000 by 2030 and swell to 63 million by 2050.Pia Singh, CNBC, 21 Dec. 2024
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Generally speaking, patients should anticipate seeing noticeable results in a few months, with full results appearing in 12 to 18 months.Kyle J. Russell, USA TODAY, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Such debate 158 years after the war’s end foreshadowed the contentiousness of another eventful period in American politics.New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 31 Dec. 2024
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So much like the poster foreshadowed, in this week’s Episode 7, Juliette takes a dive.Hunter Ingram, Variety, 27 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The western portion of the state, including Cincinnati, Dayton and Toledo, is predicted to experience normal temperatures.Mariyam Muhammad, The Enquirer, 22 Dec. 2024
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The Bottom Line Trying to predict the market’s next move with precision is a losing game.John Jennings, Forbes, 21 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The salon that resulted prefigured many of the ideas that would come to be identified with Transcendentalism, influencing not just a circle of famed contemporary thinkers but also an entire movement.New York Times, New York Times, 26 Dec. 2024
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The details are what captivate; chrome strips on the hood and sides, and exquisite chrome hood hinges prefiguring the decklid hinges on Ferrari’s 275 GTB/4.Robert Ross, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Even campaign surrogates adopted the strategy, including actor Robert De Niro, implying that a second Trump term could be similar to Germany’s situation under Adolf Hitler.Jenny Goldsberry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 23 Dec. 2024
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The Guggenheim target of $246 per share implies about 25% upside.Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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In the captions, SZA heralds the release of Lana, out Dec. 20, and Stiller’s TV series, Severance, which premieres its second season Jan. 17 (and is SZA’s favorite show).Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 17 Dec. 2024
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If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Patel would herald a radical leadership transformation at the nation’s premier federal law enforcement agency.Eric Tucker, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
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For example, people can foresee how bad weather in Mexico would affect avocado prices.James Doubek, NPR, 23 Dec. 2024
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While custom accelerator accounted for just a small portion of AI revenue in the quarter, management foresees strong growth in the second half of 2025.Beth Kindig, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Adumbrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adumbrate. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.
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