as in to predict
to give a slight indication of beforehand
a series of small tremors that foreshadowed the massive earthquake the next day
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of foreshadow
The warning foreshadowed years of crisis and bailouts that forced Greeks into a brutal era of austerity and hardship.
—
Alan Cowell, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025
Could this be foreshadowing for whatever is going on with Jane (Silvia Presente)?
—Lincee Ray, EW.com, 4 Jan. 2025
His election foreshadowed a transformation of the court, civil legal procedure and Texas itself.
—Eleanor Klibanoff, Austin American-Statesman, 30 Dec. 2024
Daniel Spoerri’s Crap Chancellery showcases two piles of poop on pedestals that foreshadow today’s emoji fascination.
—Natasha Gural, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for foreshadow 
Alan Cowell, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025
Could this be foreshadowing for whatever is going on with Jane (Silvia Presente)?
—Lincee Ray, EW.com, 4 Jan. 2025
His election foreshadowed a transformation of the court, civil legal procedure and Texas itself.
—Eleanor Klibanoff, Austin American-Statesman, 30 Dec. 2024
Daniel Spoerri’s Crap Chancellery showcases two piles of poop on pedestals that foreshadow today’s emoji fascination.
—Natasha Gural, Forbes, 12 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for foreshadow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foreshadow
Verb
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Few could have predicted the lineup of artists chosen to perform, but Snoop Dogg, Nelly, Soulja Boy, and Rick Ross—four figures deeply ingrained in the fabric of hip-hop—are in the number of artists slated to perform to mark this controversial moment in history.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
20 Jan. 2025
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For decades, theorists favored this mass range because several simple extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics predicted the existence of such particles.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
20 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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As its name implies, the flattering silhouette has a low waistline.—
Isabel Garcia,
People.com,
22 Jan. 2025
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Representing opera in games, especially in the style found in Assassin’s Creed and Hitman, is technically tricky and not undertaken lightly—likely implying a sincere belief by the game makers in its significant value for the game experience.—
Angelica Frey,
JSTOR Daily,
21 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The Return was heralded as one of the best shows of the year, and certain journals like Cahiers du cinéma and Sight & Sound considered it among the best films of 2017 despite its length.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
16 Jan. 2025
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The two men were heralded by Democrats as patriots for speaking out and derided by Trump as insubordinate.—
Aamer Madhani and Zeke Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Bitcoin gained steam last week as traders anticipated the inauguration, viewed by many in crypto as symbolic of a new golden era of more supportive crypto regulation in the U.S. Ahead of the event, speculation that Trump might announce an executive order on crypto early in his new term grew.—
Tanaya Macheel,
CNBC,
20 Jan. 2025
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Withdrawal from the agreement was anticipated to be among Trump’s first actions in office, which are expected to focus in large part on energy and environmental policy.—
Zack Budryk,
The Hill,
20 Jan. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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This familiarity enables them to make informed decisions, foresee obstacles, and craft solutions that are uniquely suited to your organization.—
Don Yaeger,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
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The chaos and fear that would soon unfold couldn't be foreseen at the time, but would mark the start of a period marked by uncertainty and public health transformation.—
Sam Woodward,
USA TODAY,
20 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near foreshadow
Cite this Entry
“Foreshadow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreshadow. Accessed 29 Jan. 2025.
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