1
as in forerunner
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
a red sky in the morning can be a portent of a coming storm
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in miracle
something extraordinary or surprising
a scout was sent to have a look at this teenage pitcher who was supposed to be the latest portent of the baseball world
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of portent
Other auspicious portents are appearing, Worden says, that signal initial Mars colonies could begin spreading out, beneath crystalline hemispheric domes, across the 2030s.
—
Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Advertisement Mamdani’s performance as mayor would be scrutinized for portents of the Democrats’ future.
—Mark Chiusano, Time, 14 Aug. 2025
This would turn out to be a portent of what was to come.
—Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025
Her appearance at the funeral had only been a portent of her tragic death.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for portent
Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Advertisement Mamdani’s performance as mayor would be scrutinized for portents of the Democrats’ future.
—Mark Chiusano, Time, 14 Aug. 2025
This would turn out to be a portent of what was to come.
—Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025
Her appearance at the funeral had only been a portent of her tragic death.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 21 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for portent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portent
Noun
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Perfected by forerunners such as Fiona Apple and Alanis Morissette, this fall has already seen two music stars gift us with lay-it-all-out-there lyrics.—
Dan Heching,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025
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The Park cinema launched under the ownership of Cineplex Odeon Cinemas, a forerunner of Cineplex and today an operator of multiplexes and out of home destinations.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Now, barring an unexpected miracle, the Hurricanes’ chances of making the field is in the hands of the playoff selection committee.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
3 Nov. 2025
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What divides him from Burton is that Hopkins, by a miracle, summoned the clarity to renounce his own destruction.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Noun
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In what sure felt like an omen to me, earlier this year, DoorDash announced a partnership with the payment-by-installment company Klarna, thereby allowing customers to pay off an order of pad thai over several months.—
Ellen Cushing,
The Atlantic,
27 Oct. 2025
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His playing has now come to be an omen of danger, so visitors who hear drums playing should be wary.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Alice in Bordeland has become a global phenomenon.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Some don’t think that the phenomenon is even real.—
David Merritt Johns,
The Atlantic,
2 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The story revealed Lively had filed a precursor complaint against Baldoni with the California Civil Rights Department.—
Nancy Dillon,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
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Trump said that Xi committed to cracking down on the production of fentanyl precursors as well in exchange for lowering tariffs on China.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The South is filled with natural wonders, from dramatic gorges and massive cave systems to beautiful wetlands and pristine beaches.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
2 Nov. 2025
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As the weather quickly cools, swapping your sheets can do wonders for your sleep.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
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In a foreshadowing of graver threats to come, this time GICs also disrupted the electrical signals that powered the rail network in London and surged through telephone lines around Chicago.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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But really, the appearance of the demonic nun is a foreshadowing of The Nun, which would be released two years later.—
Julie Tremaine,
PEOPLE,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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One of the marvels of Incan design is its masonry, encountered frequently in Cuzco and all through Machu Picchu.—
Ryan Knighton,
AFAR Media,
31 Oct. 2025
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This natural marvel, known as the Emerald Cave, is only part of the experience, which begins on the Colorado River where Nevada meets Arizona.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portent. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
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