as in to anticipate
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the strife in Bloody Kansas in the 1850s adumbrated the civil war that would follow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 adumbrate
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
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
The helicopter crash, on the other hand, is a narrative dead end, merely adumbrating the portrait that Mr. Davenport will draw of Mr. Bezos as unflappable.
—Randall Stross, WSJ, 15 Apr. 2018
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2019
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
The helicopter crash, on the other hand, is a narrative dead end, merely adumbrating the portrait that Mr. Davenport will draw of Mr. Bezos as unflappable.
—Randall Stross, WSJ, 15 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adumbrate
Verb
-
The company anticipates cleanup efforts to wrap up at the end of August, but the target may be adjusted as needed to ensure safety.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 July 2025
-
The climate crisis is anticipated to worsen natural disasters, including extreme rain.—
Michelle Krupa,
CNN Money,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
Knowing And Just Like That, the show may be foreshadowing a grand gesture from Aidan that arrives just as Carrie is beginning to have feelings for Duncan.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
27 June 2025
-
In March, the the Monitor’s View foreshadowed the impact of the foreign aid cuts: These cuts by wealthier countries, predict many aid experts, are having dramatic consequences for the world’s most vulnerable people.—
Evelyne Musambi,
Christian Science Monitor,
20 June 2025
Verb
-
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for the region through Monday evening, predicting potential rainfall of 2 to 4 inches, with isolated amounts up to 10 inches.—
Brandi D. Addison,
Austin American Statesman,
7 July 2025
-
Unlike the 2011 Groundhog Day blizzard that meteorologists predicted days in advance, this storm was harder to pinpoint, said National Weather Service meteorologist David Beachler at the time.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
7 July 2025
Verb
-
This early embrace of mechanical rhythm prefigured what would later become a foundation of hip-hop and electronic music.—
Jose Valentino Ruiz,
The Conversation,
13 June 2025
-
Its extreme hostility to the very idea of liberal governance, its skepticism of democracy, and its faith in the primacy of the wealthy over the law all prefigured the way that Trump and Elon Musk would assail key functions of government in 2025.—
Zack Beauchamp,
Vox,
7 Dec. 2018
Verb
-
In other words, the agency implied that two provisions of the budget bill reduce taxes for seniors, when in fact there’s only one.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 July 2025
-
The latest hike implies that 1.92 million bpd (or over 87%) of those cuts have now been unwound.—
Gaurav Sharma,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
Verb
-
The visual is heralded for its vibrant celebration of Benin culture featuring showcases of Fá deities, costumes adorned with ileke beads, Yoruba-style gele headwraps, and mesmerizing dance routines inspired by the Fon cultural dance, Zinli.—
Ime Ekpo,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
-
And how about the city’s single Portland Loo, a stand-alone portable potty, heralded as easier to maintain, more durable and less prone to vandalism?—
Patricia Gallagher Newberry,
The Enquirer,
4 July 2025
Verb
-
Many business leaders and others remain rattled because most people did not foresee the massive tariffs that Trump rolled out earlier this year.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
3 July 2025
-
What the optimists did not foresee was that power could eventually shift back.—
SARAH BUSH,
Foreign Affairs,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adumbrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adumbrate. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share