foreshadow

verb

fore·​shad·​ow fȯr-ˈsha-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce foreshadow (audio)
foreshadowed; foreshadowing; foreshadows

transitive verb

: to represent, indicate, or typify beforehand : prefigure
The hero's predicament is foreshadowed in the first chapter.
foreshadower noun

Examples of foreshadow in a Sentence

Her early interest in airplanes foreshadowed her later career as a pilot. The hero's predicament is foreshadowed in the first chapter.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Moreover, the film is also a vision of a time pregnant with radical change, with Michèle’s dramatic leap off course foreshadowing the imminent crisis of the Francosphere. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025 That report speaks to inflation being a legitimate issue and could be foreshadowing a hotter CPI number. Jj Kinahan, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025 Jermaine Fowler plays Randall, Lester’s replacement at the Arconia, but (to foreshadow a bit) the ideas Martin alluded to will also come into play later in the season. Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 9 Sep. 2025 Dido’s wonderfully operatic dying curse on her former lover foreshadows the future wars between her people and the descendants of the treacherous Trojans. Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for foreshadow

Word History

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of foreshadow was in 1577

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Cite this Entry

“Foreshadow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foreshadow. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

foreshadow

verb
fore·​shad·​ow -ˈshad-ō How to pronounce foreshadow (audio)
: to give a hint or suggestion of beforehand
foreshadower noun

More from Merriam-Webster on foreshadow

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