adumbrating

verb

present participle of adumbrate
as in foreshadowing
to give a slight indication of beforehand the strife in Bloody Kansas in the 1850s adumbrated the civil war that would follow

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for adumbrating
  1. foreshadowing
  2. prefiguring
  3. predicting
  4. implying
  5. anticipating
  6. heralding
  7. foreseeing
Verb
  • Lee saw the events foreshadowing a dark future for his country and maybe the world — changes in technology and wealth leaving workers behind.
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
  • As all of this finale drama is happening around him, Danny gets increasingly drunker, foreshadowing absolutely nothing good coming our way.
    — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 30 July 2026
Definition of foreshadowing
Verb
  • On the city’s West Side, the site of storied clubs such as Silvio’s as well as the Maxwell Street Market, blues musicians developed a style of electric blues in the 1950s that typically included a horn section (prefiguring soul music).
    — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
Definition of prefiguring
Verb
  • Malkovich’s turn as Chris, the eccentric and aging veteran, already has awards prognosticators predicting his return to the Oscars race.
    — Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • However, weather forecasts predicting eight hours of dense fog repeatedly failed to match the conditions at the site.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of predicting
Verb
  • The Honduran man, according to the criminal complaint filed in federal court, called the agent a slur describing a female dog and referenced the midterm elections, implying federal agents could be charged for crimes if Republicans lost power.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Some investors, trying to read the tea leaves, interpreted that as a potential warning that more conservative guidance is on the horizon, implying that a turnaround will likely take more time.
    — Vicki M. Young, Footwear News, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of implying
Verb
  • Kaepernick added that he was additionally frustrated to finally receive a phone call from the rapper possibly anticipating questions about the Roc Nation and NFL partnership.
    — Michel Martin, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Some had few concerns; others couldn’t return to school or urban life, anticipating more attacks.
    — Dr. Victor Fornari, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of anticipating
Verb
  • That would mark a decisive break from the generally low and comparatively stable inflation environment that followed the global financial crisis — heralding wide-ranging implications for investors' portfolios.
    — Hugh Leask, CNBC, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Paramount has pointed to the near doubling of its release count since the 2025 merger with Skydance, while also heralding its commitment for Paramount-WBD to distribute at least 30 theatrical films per year.
    — Ted Johnson, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of heralding
Verb
  • Nate Davis does the honors again, foreseeing the winners of all 272 regular-season games to propose win-loss records for all 32 teams.
    — Jim Reineking, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Nevertheless, Patel remains optimistic, foreseeing a future where human creativity and critical thinking combine with AI's potential for endless possibilities.
    — Michael Ashley, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026
Definition of foreseeing
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Adumbrating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adumbrating. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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