as in portents
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
some people still believe that a black cat crossing your path is a bad omen
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of omens
For over two centuries, eerie sightings of the Dash have tied it to omens of death and supernatural lore.
—
Leanna Renee Hieber, Big Think, 2 Oct. 2025
The bad omens came early at this year’s Burning Man — the infamously wild, weeklong celebration of art, music, and unrestrained self-expression held at the end of every summer in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert — portending a particularly extra-ordinary burn.
—Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025
In the final novel of the series, The Last Battle, the destruction of trees and dryads in Lantern Waste, a place tied to the creation of Narnia itself, is one of many portentous omens signalling the end of the world.
—Ellen Walker, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025
Leanna Renee Hieber, Big Think, 2 Oct. 2025
The bad omens came early at this year’s Burning Man — the infamously wild, weeklong celebration of art, music, and unrestrained self-expression held at the end of every summer in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert — portending a particularly extra-ordinary burn.
—Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025
In the final novel of the series, The Last Battle, the destruction of trees and dryads in Lantern Waste, a place tied to the creation of Narnia itself, is one of many portentous omens signalling the end of the world.
—Ellen Walker, JSTOR Daily, 3 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for omens
Noun
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As portents go, after a testing summer for Newcastle, this did not look altogether positive.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
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Other auspicious portents are appearing, Worden says, that signal initial Mars colonies could begin spreading out, beneath crystalline hemispheric domes, across the 2030s.—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
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However, scientists have already confirmed that neutrinos do possess mass and thus defied the model’s predictions, though their exact mass remains unknown, with only upper limits established so far.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Oct. 2025
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Real-world data on effectiveness for the new COVID vaccine are still limited, but researchers can make some predictions based on neutralizing antibody levels, known as titers, which indicate the strength of the immune system’s protective response to the virus the vaccines are based on.—
Sara Novak,
Scientific American,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Unlike traditional candles that require an open flame, these lamps gently melt your favorite wax from the top down, filling your space with hints of Honeycrisp apple and vanilla pumpkin safely and efficiently.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Oct. 2025
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OpenAI’s actions also provide hints.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
1 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The King and his youngest son recently met, and though the meeting was reportedly positive, there have been suggestions of sabotage from Harry’s camp in regards to how some information has leaked.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
3 Oct. 2025
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With high school training techniques evolving, there are numerous suggestions, including the possibility that individual quarterback coaching can cement specific bad habits.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
2 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Omens.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/omens. Accessed 9 Oct. 2025.
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