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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Many had anticipated Sand would seek the governorship, launching his bid for the seat almost exactly one month after Reynolds announced her retirement.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Sep. 2025
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Treasury anticipates issuing additional guidance on what exactly will fall under this carve-out.—
Kelly Phillips Erb,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Opening with ominous footage of electrical towers and power lines trembling in high winds, the film swiftly foreshadows the disaster with drone shots of small towns surrounded by miles of forest.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Sep. 2025
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Dido’s wonderfully operatic dying curse on her former lover foreshadows the future wars between her people and the descendants of the treacherous Trojans.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Bregman has been a key player for the team, but FanSided's Chris Landers predicts Bregman will not be back on the Red Sox next year.—
Aaliyan Mohammed,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Sep. 2025
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Only 1 in 5 doctors accurately predicted their patients’ out-of-pocket costs, according to a 2021 JAMA investigation.—
Dr. Jill Grimes,
CNN Money,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Andersen’s story may have prefigured this moment, although no major actor in the war wants to be the boy.—
MICHAEL KIMMAGE,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Aug. 2025
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This early embrace of mechanical rhythm prefigured what would later become a foundation of hip-hop and electronic music.—
Jose Valentino Ruiz,
The Conversation,
13 June 2025
Verb
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That implies an attractive 40% upside from current levels.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
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Leerink's price target of $77 implies shares could surge 119% from Monday's close.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The reaction was limited as investors reasoned that the recent ADP data was weak enough for the Federal Reserve to justify a September rate cut, but not soft enough to herald a recession.—
Sean Conlon,Sarah Min,
CNBC,
3 Sep. 2025
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Vintage toys, tools, and grocery items share space with a second-floor book nook heralded by a cardboard cutout of Dolly Parton.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But Intel failed to foresee the explosion of the smartphone industry in the 2010s and then the artificial intelligence revolution a decade later.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
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The commotion has come as a surprise to Cooke, who didn’t foresee her role as such a divisive one.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adumbrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adumbrate. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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