as in to foreshadow
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 final photo in the carousel was of an elderly couple standing side by side and looking out at the water, perhaps foreshadowing Lovato and Lutes growing old together.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
11 June 2026
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Michals’s first mature artistic series would foreshadow his later interests.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
11 June 2026
Verb
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There was the irony of starting with a tune anticipating the end, and literally just before the start of summer.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
15 June 2026
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The evening faceoff − titled UFC Freedom 250 − has been much anticipated by conservatives and panned by Democratic critics.—
Mike Snider,
USA Today,
15 June 2026
Verb
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In July 1962, Froio prefigured her lifelong involvement with the Hamptons by writing a piece for WWD about what was selling at the boutiques in West Hampton, commenting on the merchandise at stores called Le Sorelle (The Sisters) and Treasure Trove.—
Lorna Koski,
Footwear News,
11 June 2026
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Projected on an obelisk, this narrowest of histories prefigured the commemorative distortions to follow.—
Greg Allen,
ARTnews.com,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Nobody would have predicted the historic 4-1 dismantling of a respected Paraguay team that had beaten Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay in the World Cup qualifying round.—
Michelle Kaufman,
Miami Herald,
13 June 2026
-
Enhanced risk is a level 3 out of 5 on the scale for predicting storms.—
Kendrick Calfee
June 13,
Kansas City Star,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Worries about neighborhood gentrification, implying a new tourist destination is all downside.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
14 June 2026
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With bitcoin, there will always be winners and losers in exchange which, by its very name, implies only winners.—
John Tamny,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
Verb
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And his drive hasn’t faltered since; now, Brunson is heralded for saving the struggling franchise after Saturday’s victory.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
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Trump heralding the agreement as the exact opposite of the JCPOA deal former President Barack Obama agreed to with Iran a decade ago.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 June 2026
Verb
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Wind gusts of up to 60 mph and quarter-sized hail (1 inch) are foreseen.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
11 June 2026
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Head coach Mike Vrabel foresees the Patriots making a move to add at the position coming out of minicamp.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
10 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Adumbrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adumbrate. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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