adumbrate

verb

ˈa-dəm-ˌbrāt How to pronounce adumbrate (audio)
Definition of adumbratenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adumbrate
  1. foreshadow
  2. anticipate
  3. prefigure
  4. predict
  5. imply
  6. herald
  7. foresee
Verb
  • Tung’s tenure and resignation foreshadowed years of pro-democracy unrest that culminated in the 2019 protests and Beijing’s repressive national security law.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The novel, published in 1988, foreshadowed the career to come by taking on, with disarming frankness, everything from child abuse to transracial adoption.
    — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of foreshadow
Verb
  • The sun's intense flare-ups had put the telescope on a downward spiral faster than engineers anticipated.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
  • The project anticipates about 50 to 60 surfers in the lagoon at a time on an average day and as many as 90 during peak periods.
    — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of anticipate
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
  • Other Black families tried to hold on under the new regime but ultimately found Wilmington untenable and moved north, joining a local exodus that prefigured the Great Migration.
    — Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 3 July 2026
Definition of prefigure
Verb
  • Given Polymarket’s popularity, its prices can feed back into the events its bets supposedly only predict.
    — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Many Democratic leaders predict that the House majority is all but theirs, and that the Senate majority, almost unthinkable a year ago, is nearly in their grasp as well.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of predict
Verb
  • His price target of $200 implies upside of 37% from Monday’s close.
    — Fred Imbert, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The release of the five suspects indicates that they are not perceived as an immediate danger to the public and implies that evidence has not been found linking them to a terrorist plot.
    — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of imply
Verb
  • The publication in 2024 of former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s report on European competitiveness heralded a shift in attitudes.
    — Andrew McAfee, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Here's what to look out for as summer slips from the Northern Hemisphere, heralding shorter days and darker nights perfect for stargazing.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of herald
Verb
  • Looking to the future, Mastrangelo foresees an industrywide return to small-batch practice as a template for sustaining one’s business.
    — Adrian Madlener, Curbed, 30 Sep. 2026
  • In fact, Rystad foresees oil at $85-$90 per barrel in the last three months of the year, and falling to $80-$82 next year if Hormuz is reopened.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of foresee

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Cite this Entry

“Adumbrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adumbrate. Accessed 2 Oct. 2026.

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