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.
—
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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His puck-moving since he’s turned pro has been better than anticipated.—
Corey Pronman,
The Athletic,
1 Feb. 2025
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The reveal of Season 2 characters that were cast in May 2024 further indicated the series was jumping to the end of the comics much sooner than fans anticipated.—
Jennifer Maas,
Variety,
31 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Shortly thereafter, Biden pardoned five of his family members, including his brother James, a move that was foreshadowed in the weeks before leaving office.—
Kaelan Deese,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
20 Jan. 2025
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Not to foreshadow the end of Dellinger, but there was this great message that the enlightened are not welcome here.—
Abbey White,
The Hollywood Reporter,
18 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Exactly one month ago, NOAA predicted the auroras to be visible on New Year's Eve.—
Skyler Caruso,
People.com,
31 Jan. 2025
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Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter recently predicted the Braves to swing a blockbuster trade with the St. Louis Cardinals to acquire starting pitcher Erick Fedde.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
31 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The Page Act prefigured the near-total ban on Chinese immigration to the U.S. seven years later, with the Exclusion Act of 1882—the country’s first federal law to restrict a group on the basis of race.—
Jane Hu,
The New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2025
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It is also prefigured (another Biblical device) by Pharaoh’s order, in Exodus, to kill all male babies born to Hebrew mothers.—
Louis Menand,
The New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Goldman Sachs economists have estimated that across-the-board tariffs on Canada and Mexico would imply a 0.7% increase in core inflation and a 0.4% hit to gross domestic product.—
Suzanne McGee and Isla Binnie,
USA TODAY,
3 Feb. 2025
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Morgan Stanley’s forecast implies nearly 6% upside from Friday’s close.—
Brian Evans,
CNBC,
3 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The project heralds from writer Nick Zigler, whose credits include the Chucky and Purge TV series, and director David Straiton (Narcos).—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
30 Jan. 2025
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It has been heralded as the solution to a wide range of challenges, with organizations like KPMG suggesting the approach may be a cure for talent shortages.—
René Janssen,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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So, the anniversary album release was planned, but who could have foreseen these events and the support?—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
27 Jan. 2025
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Under Trump’s new emergency order — many foresee a fresh start.—
Sharyl Attkisson,
Baltimore Sun,
24 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Adumbrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adumbrate. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.
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