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 company anticipates cleanup efforts to wrap up at the end of August, but the target may be adjusted as needed to ensure safety.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 July 2025
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The climate crisis is anticipated to worsen natural disasters, including extreme rain.—
Michelle Krupa,
CNN Money,
7 July 2025
Verb
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Knowing And Just Like That, the show may be foreshadowing a grand gesture from Aidan that arrives just as Carrie is beginning to have feelings for Duncan.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
27 June 2025
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In March, the the Monitor’s View foreshadowed the impact of the foreign aid cuts: These cuts by wealthier countries, predict many aid experts, are having dramatic consequences for the world’s most vulnerable people.—
Evelyne Musambi,
Christian Science Monitor,
20 June 2025
Verb
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The Global Wellness Institute predicts a related category, wellness tourism, will average annual expenditure growth of 16.6% to 2027, noting travel trends that include travel for mental health, sleep and recovery.—
Rafi Golberstein,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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Unlike the 2011 Groundhog Day blizzard that meteorologists predicted days in advance, this storm was harder to pinpoint, said National Weather Service meteorologist David Beachler at the time.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
7 July 2025
Verb
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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
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Its extreme hostility to the very idea of liberal governance, its skepticism of democracy, and its faith in the primacy of the wealthy over the law all prefigured the way that Trump and Elon Musk would assail key functions of government in 2025.—
Zack Beauchamp,
Vox,
7 Dec. 2018
Verb
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The final scene implies that so long as there are desperate individual people, there will always be an opportunity for a Squid Game.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
27 June 2025
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The decision implies he might have been changed by Gi-hun’s choice to hold onto his humanity.—
Kayti Burt,
Time,
27 June 2025
Verb
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The visual is heralded for its vibrant celebration of Benin culture featuring showcases of Fá deities, costumes adorned with ileke beads, Yoruba-style gele headwraps, and mesmerizing dance routines inspired by the Fon cultural dance, Zinli.—
Ime Ekpo,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
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And how about the city’s single Portland Loo, a stand-alone portable potty, heralded as easier to maintain, more durable and less prone to vandalism?—
Patricia Gallagher Newberry,
The Enquirer,
4 July 2025
Verb
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But the group’s mentor never foresaw her protégé falling for a bad boy like Juni, who’s got a couple secrets up his sleeve as well.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
21 June 2025
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But there was no final agreement to cut the tax on British steel to zero as originally foreseen — seen as vital to preserving the U.K.’s beleaguered steel industry.—
Jill Lawless,
Fortune,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adumbrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adumbrate. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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