as in to foreshadow
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the first crocus traditionally prefigures the arrival of spring
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Recent Examples of prefigure
The film, with a screenplay by Buck Henry, is a biting satire of the American tabloid mentality and in some ways prefigures the contemporary reality-show mind-set of fame at whatever cost.
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Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2024
But the unleashing of ethnic nationalisms amid imperial collapse and global conflict saw the genocidal massacre of Armenians and prefigured the new republic.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024
Kremlin authorities seized on Macron’s remarks, arguing that NATO troops in Ukraine would prefigure a direct armed confrontation with Russia.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
Some people think of Sutherland as the ‘godfather of computer graphics’ – and with good reason, given that his Sketchpad application prefigured the AutoCAD tools so useful in drafting and designing today.
—John Werner, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prefigure 
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2024
But the unleashing of ethnic nationalisms amid imperial collapse and global conflict saw the genocidal massacre of Armenians and prefigured the new republic.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024
Kremlin authorities seized on Macron’s remarks, arguing that NATO troops in Ukraine would prefigure a direct armed confrontation with Russia.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
Some people think of Sutherland as the ‘godfather of computer graphics’ – and with good reason, given that his Sketchpad application prefigured the AutoCAD tools so useful in drafting and designing today.
—John Werner, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prefigure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefigure
Verb
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And that would be a result foreshadowed by few of the country's pollsters.David Faris, Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2024
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The moment just might've foreshadowed the film's success, said Hanks.Jessica Wang, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Not even the most pessimistic prognosticators could have predicted this.Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
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Studies show betting markets have sometimes accurately predicted winners, especially when large volumes of data are available.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The merger implies a current equity value of Huture at $1.0 billion prior to closing.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
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During the election, a political advertisement falsely implied Vick supported Amendment 80.Jessica Seaman, The Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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WandaVision heralded the era of MCU-set series influencing its big-screen stories; watching the show helped audiences understand what would happen in upcoming movies, and story lines and characters in the movies sprung directly from what happened on TV.Josef Adalian, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2024
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The first book, covering 1936 to 1950 or so, showcases glamorous stars as well as the work that went into keeping their glamour mysterious; the second book focuses on the 1950s through 1972, when cultural shifts heralded more independence and diversity.Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 3 Nov. 2024
Verb
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But Mexico anticipates a tough immigration regime whoever wins.New York Times, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2024
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But those appearances were anticipated in advance, the candidates didn’t pop in days before the general election.Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 3 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near prefigure
Cite this Entry
“Prefigure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefigure. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
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