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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In retrospect, this sounds like foreshadowing … or at least a good omen.
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As Europe struggles with its latest blistering heatwave, the high temperatures foreshadow the wildfire season.
Verb
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The one-two punch of heat and humidity is anticipated to reach Eastern states by midweek, AccuWeather said, possibly lingering through the Independence Day weekend.
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Even if the architects of my building didn’t anticipate global warming, their handiwork, with some minor accommodations, has made the past week bearable.
Verb
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Brexit prefigured further crises of confidence in Western democracies that have led to the steady advance of the far right.
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Over the course of one phantasmagoric evening, Robin witnesses events that prefigure the Revolutionary War.
Verb
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Analyst Jack Lu and his team at the bank predict sodium-ion batteries will account for 20% of total battery deployment market share by 2030 and 37% in 2035.
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In some cases, like in Elk River, local utility companies are predicting positive impacts on utility rates thanks to data centers paying larger bills for services.
Verb
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Barclays in June raised its year-end target for the S&P 500 to 7,800 – implying a gain of 4% across the next six months.
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Many modern brides now wear different outfits for the ceremony and reception, and reporting from Page Six implies that Swift will follow suit.
Verb
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Ferris Bueller's Day Off was only Mia Sara's second film role, but her Sloane Peterson has come to be heralded as one of the defining parts of her career.
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The film heralds from co-writers and co-directors Sophie Cohen and Michael Lindsay and is produced by 16oz Films in association with House of Vixens.
Verb
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The survey is an indicator of companies foreseeing good conditions minus those feeling pessimistic.
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To say legislators should have foreseen this result is shooting fish.
Cite this Entry
“Adumbrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adumbrate. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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