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
  • Rising levels of poor health also foreshadow higher long-term public spending on health, which can crowd out investments in infrastructure, education, and technology; all are critical to sustained growth.
    — Pooja Kumar, Fortune, 15 Aug. 2026
  • The Pax Mongolica also foreshadowed later forms of global commerce.
    — Ethan Teekah, Encyclopedia Britannica, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of foreshadow
Verb
  • This problem is anticipated to worsen as more AI providers adopt watermarking, creating a fertile environment for scams and deception, thus users are urged to exercise extreme caution.
    — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Gibbs joked that some Cup drivers would be out of the series without the high-tech device that makes blocking easier by anticipating an opponent’s move.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 15 Aug. 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
  • Everyone predicted the scoreline of each of the 10 Premier League matches each gameweek, with points awarded for correct guesses and a league table kept track of who was leading.
    — The Athletic Soccer Experts, New York Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Kelly predicted that payrolls should grow 50,000 to 100,000 per month going forward — but July’s poor report and downward revision for earlier months call that into question.
    — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of predict
Verb
  • That is a fairly hot SPAC, implying a value for Agility somewhere near $4 billion.
    — John Koetsier, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • This implies considerable factional infighting at the top, along with collective insecurity.
    — Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of imply
Verb
  • When the registry was created a few years ago, it was heralded by many (including me) as the single greatest anti-corruption step the United States had taken in decades.
    — Casey Michel, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2026
  • But Díaz was heralded as the best reliever on the free-agent market when the Dodgers signed him.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of herald
Verb
  • Its drafters could not have foreseen today’s challenges of combatting cybercrime.
    — Jill Goldenziel, Forbes.com, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Markets now are pricing in little chance the Fed will raise at its September meeting and, in fact, now doesn't foresee a high probability of an interest rate increase until December, according to the CME Group's FedWatch tool.
    — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 18 Aug. 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 21 Aug. 2026.

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