as in to anticipate
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the strife in Bloody Kansas in the 1850s adumbrated the civil war that would follow
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Recent Examples of adumbrate
In between, works by contemporaries complicate superficial ideas about his meteoric genius, and small, delicate drawings teem with an abundance of ideas — paintings never made, thoughts adumbrated then abandoned.
—
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2019
Nothing in America’s tepid 19th-century contributions to European classical music adumbrated it; nor did the homely and sometimes hokey popular songs of Stephen Foster.
—Heather Mac Donald, National Review, 22 Aug. 2019
The helicopter crash, on the other hand, is a narrative dead end, merely adumbrating the portrait that Mr. Davenport will draw of Mr. Bezos as unflappable.
—Randall Stross, WSJ, 15 Apr. 2018
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2019
Nothing in America’s tepid 19th-century contributions to European classical music adumbrated it; nor did the homely and sometimes hokey popular songs of Stephen Foster.
—Heather Mac Donald, National Review, 22 Aug. 2019
The helicopter crash, on the other hand, is a narrative dead end, merely adumbrating the portrait that Mr. Davenport will draw of Mr. Bezos as unflappable.
—Randall Stross, WSJ, 15 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adumbrate
Verb
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Chicago drafted Horton in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft and his debut in the big leagues has been highly anticipated since then.—
Andrew Wright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
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Betting on a new foundation Azulay anticipated this shift.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
Verb
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The show also has a habit of using certain songs to foreshadow particularly tragic moments.—
Erin Clack,
People.com,
11 May 2025
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The security threat hanging over the Victory Day parade in Moscow potentially foreshadows the looming challenges for the Kremlin in its ongoing war in Ukraine, which shows precious little sign of abating.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
8 May 2025
Verb
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So if betting markets failed to predict that Francis would become pope in 2013, how good an indicator are the millions of dollars of bets currently being placed around the world?—
Jim Sergent,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
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While the release date for its debut on streaming platforms and digital release has not been announced, industry experts can predict when the film will be available at home, based on patterns.—
Jenna deJong,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
Verb
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The widescreen, 35mm format prefigured IMAX and other high-density imagery in a way that still stuns on screen.—
John Wenzel,
The Denver Post,
31 Jan. 2025
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It is also prefigured (another Biblical device) by Pharaoh’s order, in Exodus, to kill all male babies born to Hebrew mothers.—
Louis Menand,
The New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Pereira was seemingly addressing frustration, as the post implied he felt disrespected by not getting placement in the main event for UFC 317 this summer.—
Brian Mazique,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2025
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Jokic wasn’t the conniving villain implied by his pregame wardrobe.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
10 May 2025
Verb
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But the point was enough to secure European football for the first time in three decades, so it should still be heralded.—
Paul Taylor,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
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The first direct talks between Ukraine and Russia should have heralded a new era of diplomacy towards solving Europe’s largest conflict since World War II.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
16 May 2025
Verb
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These problems are most exacerbated in the Northwest (61 percent) and West (52 percent) regions, further illustrating the issues that were foreseen out on the West Coast.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
8 May 2025
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Quarter-sized hail (1 inch) is foreseen with the incoming storm.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adumbrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adumbrate. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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