as in prediction
a declaration that something will happen in the future
the ludicrous foretellings of self-styled psychics at the end of each year
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in predicting
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
as in reading
to tell of or describe beforehand
a 16th-century astrologer who, some claim, accurately foretold 20th-century events
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of foretelling
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
8 Mar. 2026
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
The Guardian similarly noted more than a dozen $100,000 bets on prediction markets foretelling the February air strikes on Iran, while The New York Times last month reported 150 bets of $1,000 or more predicting the start of the war.
—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
21 Apr. 2026
The stories foretelling McGonigle’s talents are numerous.
—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Million-Follower Detective (February 12) This eight-episode Taiwanese crime thriller follows a mysterious woman who rises to fame and becomes a powerful influencer after accurately foretelling the murders of several social-media influencers.
—
Dana Feldman,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Apparently, the little man was an oracle, foretelling deaths with certainty.
—
Literary Hub,
5 Jan. 2026
The opening night in Brazil provided the ominous but apparently foretelling moment, when one star player left his passing lane on a game-deciding third down.
—
Sam McDowell December 15,
Kansas City Star,
15 Dec. 2025
The track, written and produced by Danny Elfman, premiered in the 1993 film The Nightmare Before Christmas (foretelling the blend of Halloween and Christmas decorations on the latest chart).
—
Gary Trust,
Billboard,
11 Nov. 2025
Those are the conclusions of two recent reports about spiraling utility bills, one looking at the past, the other foretelling the future.
—
Daniel De Visé,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
Noun
In the wake of Friday’s abysmal jobs report , investors are scrambling to understand whether the loss of 92,000 jobs in February was a blip or a foretelling of more payroll cuts to come as t he adoption of AI by corporations increases .
—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
But the drama here feels too diagrammatic, foretelling a tragic fate from the first scene onward as everyone parties down like their lives depend on it.
—
Leslie Felperin,
HollywoodReporter,
22 May 2026
The Guardian similarly noted more than a dozen $100,000 bets on prediction markets foretelling the February air strikes on Iran, while The New York Times last month reported 150 bets of $1,000 or more predicting the start of the war.
—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
21 Apr. 2026
The stories foretelling McGonigle’s talents are numerous.
—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
Million-Follower Detective (February 12) This eight-episode Taiwanese crime thriller follows a mysterious woman who rises to fame and becomes a powerful influencer after accurately foretelling the murders of several social-media influencers.
—
Dana Feldman,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
Apparently, the little man was an oracle, foretelling deaths with certainty.
—
Literary Hub,
5 Jan. 2026
The opening night in Brazil provided the ominous but apparently foretelling moment, when one star player left his passing lane on a game-deciding third down.
—
Sam McDowell December 15,
Kansas City Star,
15 Dec. 2025
The track, written and produced by Danny Elfman, premiered in the 1993 film The Nightmare Before Christmas (foretelling the blend of Halloween and Christmas decorations on the latest chart).
—
Gary Trust,
Billboard,
11 Nov. 2025
Those are the conclusions of two recent reports about spiraling utility bills, one looking at the past, the other foretelling the future.
—
Daniel De Visé,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foretelling
Noun
-
To be sure, some of the worst-case predictions did not materialize, such as an immediate recession or a housing market crash.
-
Below are five bold predictions about what the world of artificial intelligence will look like in the year 2030.
Verb
-
Analysts are predicting volatility for the stock as lockup periods end and people sell shares.
-
Though global manufacturers have vowed increases in production, experts say the shortfall will continue, with Goldman Sachs predicting undersupply will extend through 2028.
Noun
-
The National Weather Service issued an extreme-heat watch at the Grand Canyon for midday Monday through Tuesday, forecasting temperatures that could exceed 110 degrees at the low-elevation Phantom Ranch.
-
Preparing for what comes after AGI, the authors write, will take forecasting and benchmarking and continuous monitoring, plus the ability to turn that work into policy quickly, across labs and governments and the research community at the same time.
Noun
-
Analysts at Citi on Monday adjusted their forecast for oil to $75 a barrel in the third quarter of this year, compared to a previous forecast of $110.
-
Before Wednesday’s storms, several large outbreaks occurred across the state the previous week on the evening of June 11, producing 20 tornadoes in the northern Illinois and northwest Indiana forecast area alone.
Noun
-
In fact, his words are about the prophecy of the Song of Ice and Fire.
-
SpaceX will officially acquire Cursor for $60 billion Just as the prophecy foretold—or maybe just as the paperwork disclosed—SpaceX will officially, finally, buy Anysphere, the parent company of the AI coding agent Cursor, for $60 billion in stock.
Cite this Entry
“Foretelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foretelling. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
