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
But the right-hander rebounded by striking out the next three hitters, foreshadowing what turned out to be a historic outing.
—
Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026
The nostalgic theme was further foreshadowed when McCartney took to his social media Wednesday to post a black-and-white photo of himself believed to be from the late ’50s.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
The book wonderfully foreshadows one of its best moments, but the film doesn’t do this at all, setting up the action with a few lines of dialog instead.
—Matthew Razak, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Thousands gathered outside the gates hoping to glimpse the couple, turning what might have been a society wedding into a national spectacle—and foreshadowing the intense public fascination that would follow the Kennedys for decades.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foreshadow
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.
Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 27 Mar. 2026
The nostalgic theme was further foreshadowed when McCartney took to his social media Wednesday to post a black-and-white photo of himself believed to be from the late ’50s.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 26 Mar. 2026
The book wonderfully foreshadows one of its best moments, but the film doesn’t do this at all, setting up the action with a few lines of dialog instead.
—Matthew Razak, Space.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Thousands gathered outside the gates hoping to glimpse the couple, turning what might have been a society wedding into a national spectacle—and foreshadowing the intense public fascination that would follow the Kennedys for decades.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foreshadow
Cite this Entry
“Foreshadow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foreshadow. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
foreshadow
verb
fore·shad·ow
-ˈshad-ō
: to give a hint or suggestion of beforehand
foreshadower
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
