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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The owners anticipate the new Muskego location will open at the beginning of 2026, though an official date has not been set.—
Adrienne Davis,
jsonline.com,
27 Sep. 2025
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Residents can anticipate wind gusts of up to 50 mph.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
27 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Several of the country’s biggest news outlets are publicly pushing back on the rules, foreshadowing a potential legal battle.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
22 Sep. 2025
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The shift followed bipartisan calls to strengthen America’s semiconductor industry amid rising technological competition with China—a sentiment that foreshadowed the federal government’s own historic actions.—
Dave Smith,
Fortune,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Without additional revenue, the IBA predicts that the PUD will need to cut its expenses by slashing either its operating costs — likely by cutting staff — or its spending on capital improvements.—
Maura Fox,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Sep. 2025
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Initial estimates predicted two to three years, and design work only began in December, the city said.—
Kirsten Fiscus,
Nashville Tennessean,
29 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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Current estimates put the ratio around 217% as of mid‑2025, far above its historical trend and prior highs, implying stocks have grown much faster than the economy itself.—
Ashley Lutz,
Fortune,
30 Sep. 2025
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But the caption implies at least the little ones were there.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
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Soon after, the fall of the Berlin Wall would herald the end of the Cold War.—
Simon Njami,
Artforum,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Young adults with disabilities have much to offer that could not have been foreseen in advance.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Sep. 2025
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As for the rest of our readers’ predictions, 20% foresaw the grand prize going to freestyler Chris Turner, while 14% threw their support behind Jourdan Blue‘s velvety voice and even velvetier hair.—
Andy Swift,
TVLine,
24 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adumbrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adumbrate. Accessed 2 Oct. 2025.
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