as in to predict
formal + literary
to be a sign or warning that something usually bad or unpleasant is going to happen
The distant thunder portended a storm. If you're superstitious, a black cat portends trouble.
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Recent Examples of portend
Share [Findings] The birth of a white buffalo fulfilled a Lakota prophecy portending better times.
—
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Yet that’s not a perfect indicator either, as the survey in February 2024 showed the highest allocation to stocks since November 2021, only to portend last year’s big equity surge.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 2 Jan. 2025
All of this would seem to portend momentum for tech, particularly fast-growing sectors in Web3, in the new year.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
The cume through three days of international box office play is $33M, which, with the domestic outlook, portends a $125M worldwide start through Sunday.
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 21 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for portend 
Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 2 Jan. 2025
Yet that’s not a perfect indicator either, as the survey in February 2024 showed the highest allocation to stocks since November 2021, only to portend last year’s big equity surge.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 2 Jan. 2025
All of this would seem to portend momentum for tech, particularly fast-growing sectors in Web3, in the new year.
—Josh Hammer, Newsweek, 23 Dec. 2024
The cume through three days of international box office play is $33M, which, with the domestic outlook, portends a $125M worldwide start through Sunday.
—Nancy Tartaglione, Deadline, 21 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for portend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portend
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 action-comedy may have a change in scenery but promises to be as explosive and swear-y as ever.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
18 Jan. 2025
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These sessions promise to deliver actionable strategies and real-world insights, making this stand a key destination for anyone passionate about equitable education.—
Dan Fitzpatrick,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
Verb
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But for a moment that presaged a post-Covid era of good feelings, flash back to February.—
Gord Magill,
Newsweek,
22 Dec. 2024
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The timing may have seemed inauspicious, but in hindsight, the debut of the 3940 presaged a new era for Patek Philippe, marked by serial production of complicated timepieces.—
Allen Farmelo,
Robb Report,
26 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Anyone who would like to get connected to treatment, or knows someone who does, can call 1-800-563-4086 or visit connectgnh.org at any day or time.—
Hartford Courant,
Hartford Courant,
14 Feb. 2023
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Breakouts might call for the Salicylic + Green Tea Exfoliating Cleanser and Aloe + Algae Lightweight Gel Cream, whereas dry skin might crave a boost of moisture from the Hyaluronic + Arnica Hydrating Serum.—
Lisa DeSantis,
Allure,
14 Feb. 2023
Verb
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Kessler’s hiring could foretell antitrust litigation that would rattle a hockey world already coming to terms with the NCAA allowing more junior players to join Division I college teams.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
25 Jan. 2025
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Written soon after the death of Mahler’s daughter and soon before his own, the symphony is a sombre, reflective, and reverberant adieu, brewing such melancholy that Leonard Bernstein theorized that Mahler was foretelling his own end.—
The New Yorker,
The New Yorker,
10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Despite the difficulty, in some cases the stakes are so high—as with North Korea and its nuclear weapons—that armies will have no choice but to take the fight to what is often a vast, foreboding underworld.—
Kyle Mizokami,
Popular Mechanics,
27 June 2023
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There are foreboding close-ups on clock faces and their fast-changing digits.—
Erica Gonzales,
ELLE,
23 June 2023
Verb
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Certainly, the world’s No. 1 retailer’s announcement that it’s poised to undershoot its targets to reduce planet-heating emissions by the end of the decade doesn’t augur well for the industry at large.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
3 Sep. 2019
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Seven of the movies on my top-10 list come from first- and second-time filmmakers, a supermajority that augurs well for 2025 and beyond.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near portend
Cite this Entry
“Portend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portend. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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