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.
The news division also laid off about one hundred people earlier this week, though the cuts were foreshadowed months ago, well before Weiss was hired. Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025 The film’s most unsettling scenes connect Hans' murder spree with the bloodlust of the German public, foreshadowing the Nazis’ rise to power just a few years later. Katie Rife, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025 Around the same time, the Human-Machine Interaction Group pioneered early work in virtual reality, building headsets and gloves that foreshadowed today’s AR/VR technology. Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2025 Trump’s direct engagement and threats of limiting federal funding underscore the national stakes and foreshadow major confrontations over urban policy, federal-state relations and the Democratic Party’s direction. Jordan King, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 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 8 Nov. 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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