foreshadow
verb
fore·shad·ow
fȯr-ˈsha-(ˌ)dō 
foreshadowed; foreshadowing; foreshadows
: to represent, indicate, or typify beforehand : prefigure
The hero's predicament is foreshadowed in the first chapter.
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
Nearly a decade ago, in Ex Machina, Garland foreshadowed the debate raging today about whether artificial intelligence is a net positive for society or a dangerous threat to mankind.
—
David Gilbert, WIRED, 12 Apr. 2024
The Brexit decision foreshadowed Trump’s U.S. victory months afterward that year, but Cameron had never met Trump until their Mar-a-Lago conversation this week.
—Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Yet despite the shocking cliffhanger audiences were left with, the scene in no way foreshadows a future reunion between the couple who divorced after John’s infidelity.
—Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
But—as the frankly silly breadsticks foreshadowed—the pomp of the place never lapses into tedium.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2024
Damon’s Tom does transform, but the actor’s aw-shucks wholesomeness in early scenes fails to persuasively foreshadow the protagonist’s violent potential.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
York, at last week’s NFL owners meeting, foreshadowed how Brock Purdy’s 2025 extension could be the largest in team history.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
But these genetic alterations may nevertheless foreshadow the future.
—Apoorva Mandavilli, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
The most Latino neighborhood in Nevada is foreshadowing a big 2024 fight.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 21 Mar. 2024
David Gilbert, WIRED, 12 Apr. 2024
The Brexit decision foreshadowed Trump’s U.S. victory months afterward that year, but Cameron had never met Trump until their Mar-a-Lago conversation this week.
—Michael Birnbaum, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
Yet despite the shocking cliffhanger audiences were left with, the scene in no way foreshadows a future reunion between the couple who divorced after John’s infidelity.
—Brande Victorian, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Apr. 2024
But—as the frankly silly breadsticks foreshadowed—the pomp of the place never lapses into tedium.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 17 Mar. 2024
Damon’s Tom does transform, but the actor’s aw-shucks wholesomeness in early scenes fails to persuasively foreshadow the protagonist’s violent potential.
—Judy Berman, TIME, 4 Apr. 2024
York, at last week’s NFL owners meeting, foreshadowed how Brock Purdy’s 2025 extension could be the largest in team history.
—Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
But these genetic alterations may nevertheless foreshadow the future.
—Apoorva Mandavilli, New York Times, 22 Mar. 2024
The most Latino neighborhood in Nevada is foreshadowing a big 2024 fight.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 21 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'foreshadow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near foreshadow
Cite this Entry
“Foreshadow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foreshadow. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
foreshadow
verb
fore·shad·ow
-ˈshad-ō
: to give a hint or suggestion of beforehand
foreshadower
noun
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