as in to foreshadow
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the first crocus traditionally prefigures the arrival of spring
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prefigure
That prefigured, in a much smaller and less consequential way, Iran’s own actions in blocking the Strait of Hormuz during the current crisis.
—
Ioana Emy Matesan,
The Conversation,
9 Apr. 2026
The horror has come now like a storm— what if this night prefigured the night after death— what if all thereafter was an eternal quivering on the edge of an abyss, with everything base and vicious in oneself urging one forward and the baseness and viciousness of the world just ahead.
—
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
The Kamm tail, with its upturned spoiler and flat panel adorned with Ferrari’s signature twin round taillights, is a nod to aerodynamics that prefigures the shape of the Lusso’s spiritual successor, the 275 GTB.
—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
16 Feb. 2026
Chess by telegraph also prefigured chess played through other means of telecommunications.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prefigure
Ioana Emy Matesan,
The Conversation,
9 Apr. 2026
The horror has come now like a storm— what if this night prefigured the night after death— what if all thereafter was an eternal quivering on the edge of an abyss, with everything base and vicious in oneself urging one forward and the baseness and viciousness of the world just ahead.
—
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
The Kamm tail, with its upturned spoiler and flat panel adorned with Ferrari’s signature twin round taillights, is a nod to aerodynamics that prefigures the shape of the Lusso’s spiritual successor, the 275 GTB.
—
Robert Ross,
Robb Report,
16 Feb. 2026
Chess by telegraph also prefigured chess played through other means of telecommunications.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prefigure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefigure
Verb
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In retrospect, this sounds like foreshadowing … or at least a good omen.
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As Europe struggles with its latest blistering heatwave, the high temperatures foreshadow the wildfire season.
Verb
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Analyst Jack Lu and his team at the bank predict sodium-ion batteries will account for 20% of total battery deployment market share by 2030 and 37% in 2035.
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In some cases, like in Elk River, local utility companies are predicting positive impacts on utility rates thanks to data centers paying larger bills for services.
Verb
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Murdaugh’s attorneys appealed the convictions, saying the trial was tainted by the county clerk Becky Hill’s inappropriate comments to jurors implying his guilt.
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The mess, at the scale implied, is not yet in the data.
Verb
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Ferris Bueller's Day Off was only Mia Sara's second film role, but her Sloane Peterson has come to be heralded as one of the defining parts of her career.
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The film heralds from co-writers and co-directors Sophie Cohen and Michael Lindsay and is produced by 16oz Films in association with House of Vixens.
Verb
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The one-two punch of heat and humidity is anticipated to reach Eastern states by midweek, AccuWeather said, possibly lingering through the Independence Day weekend.
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Even if the architects of my building didn’t anticipate global warming, their handiwork, with some minor accommodations, has made the past week bearable.
Cite this Entry
“Prefigure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefigure. Accessed 1 Jul. 2026.
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