herald 1 of 2

herald

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word herald distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of herald are forerunner, harbinger, and precursor. While all these words mean "one that goes before or announces the coming of another," harbinger and herald both apply, chiefly figuratively, to one that proclaims or announces the coming or arrival of a notable event.

their early victory was the harbinger of a winning season
the herald of a new age in medicine

In what contexts can forerunner take the place of herald?

Although the words forerunner and herald have much in common, forerunner is applicable to anything that serves as a sign or presage.

the blockade was the forerunner of war

When is it sensible to use precursor instead of herald?

While in some cases nearly identical to herald, precursor applies to a person or thing paving the way for the success or accomplishment of another.

18th century poets like Burns were precursors of the Romantics

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of herald
Noun
Thy Kingdom Come’s entrance heralds 10 total appearances for the album’s tracks on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Trevor Anderson, Billboard, 14 Aug. 2025 The show’s camera language has slowly opened up to be more dynamic, more open to movement, more open to the change in society that Season 3 heralds. Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2025
Verb
Now, back in Los Angeles, Bieber is heralding fall in her tried-and-tested transeasonal uniform. Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2025 This could herald an end not just to the acute suffering under this war, but also to the misery that has prevailed in the Strip, especially since 2007, when Israel and Egypt imposed a blockade in response to Hamas’s violent takeover of the territory. Hussein Ibish, The Atlantic, 1 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for herald
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herald
Noun
  • Laurene Allen, an environmental advocate who lives in Merrimack, New Hampshire, where PFNA was one of several forever chemicals discovered in drinking water in 2016, was awaiting the report and is frustrated and enraged by its delay.
    Sharon Lerner, ProPublica, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Immigrant rights advocates argue injured workers, regardless of their legal status, are entitled to workers' comp under state law.
    Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 9 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • California is also a harbinger for sustainable legislation.
    SJ STAFF, Sourcing Journal, 9 Oct. 2025
  • At this early point, Stein was already setting herself up as a kind of Cassandra, harbinger of a significant message yet doomed to be misunderstood and ignored.
    Via Scribner, Literary Hub, 7 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In this melancholy-comic subversion of a rags-to-riches story Karl’s empathetic musings about those less fortunate immigrants foreshadow his subsequent downhill trajectory.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025
  • Your character also returns to Italy, hiding under a blanket, which was a moment foreshadowed in the very beginning.
    Giana Levy, Variety, 1 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Blumhouse announced at CinemaCon 2024 that a sequel to Five Nights at Freddy’s was coming in 2025.
    Bethy Squires, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2025
  • The new boat will meet boaters in the water to empty their waste holding tanks for free, the city announced Thursday.
    Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 11 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Massive Attack have also joined a separate but parallel drive to pull music from Spotify altogether; proponents of that movement primarily cite founder Daniel Ek’s investment in weapons contractor Helsing, which is not linked to Israel.
    Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 6 Oct. 2025
  • With Newsom’s signature now on AB 1340, drivers can collectively bargain and unionize, including negotiating contracts, which would set industry-wide standards, according to proponents like bill sponsors Assemblymembers Marc Berman, D-Menlo Park, and Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland.
    David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Compared to their forerunners in the tsarist era, with their party congresses held abroad, their executive committees, and their active recruitment in imperial Russia’s universities, Soviet dissidents remained a comparatively small and informal conglomeration of activists.
    Benjamin Nathans September 24, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2025
  • The event turned out to be a forerunner to the UN Earth Summit.
    Ted Johnson, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Let’s tie it all together by predicting that the first meeting of the season between Toronto and Philadelphia gets well and truly out of control … which by today’s standards means there are three fights in the game.
    Sean McIndoe, New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
  • High geopolitical volatility makes predicting the market’s future even more difficult than usual, a Reuters columnist argued.
    Matthew Martin, semafor.com, 6 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Tyler Cowen, the economist, proclaimed Tilly his favorite actress and speculated about her virginity.
    Gene Maddaus, Variety, 8 Oct. 2025
  • The Jays proclaimed their difference all season.
    Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 5 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Herald.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herald. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.

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