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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Betting on a new foundation Azulay anticipated this shift.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
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Chicago drafted Horton in the first round of the 2022 MLB Draft and his debut in the big leagues has been highly anticipated since then.—
Andrew Wright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
Verb
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In the first act, a handkerchief dangles in front of the audience which leads to foreshadowing in the second act.—
Aleah Wright,
Essence,
23 Apr. 2025
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Watching the earlier ephemerals foreshadows more beauty to unfold in the next several weeks.—
Sheryl De Vore,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2025
Verb
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So if betting markets failed to predict that Francis would become pope in 2013, how good an indicator are the millions of dollars of bets currently being placed around the world?—
Jim Sergent,
USA Today,
9 May 2025
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While the release date for its debut on streaming platforms and digital release has not been announced, industry experts can predict when the film will be available at home, based on patterns.—
Jenna deJong,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
Verb
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The widescreen, 35mm format prefigured IMAX and other high-density imagery in a way that still stuns on screen.—
John Wenzel,
The Denver Post,
31 Jan. 2025
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It is also prefigured (another Biblical device) by Pharaoh’s order, in Exodus, to kill all male babies born to Hebrew mothers.—
Louis Menand,
The New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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That same year, István Hegedűs, a former politician who had served in parliament alongside Orbán, read an article in a pro-Fidesz newspaper which implied that only the Party’s generosity enabled C.E.U. to stay in Budapest.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
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These stories imply that this person did this remarkable thing, so anyone else can do it, too.—
Dmitry Malin,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Gandolfini led the mafia drama for six seasons from 1999 to 2007, and his Tony Soprano is still heralded as one of the most influential characters in TV history.—
Shania Russell,
EW.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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We are being openly heralded as a driving force for culture and perhaps more importantly, commercial success.—
Ana Osorno,
Them.,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The storms are foreseen to bring wind gusts of up to 40 mph and marble-sized hail (0.5 inches).—
KANSAS CITY STAR WEATHER BOT,
Kansas City Star,
24 Apr. 2025
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The Mortgage Bankers Association foresees price growth to slow to 1.3 percent year-over-year by the end of 2025 and hold steady at that rate in 2026.—
Ross Rosenfeld,
MSNBC Newsweek,
23 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adumbrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adumbrate. Accessed 12 May. 2025.
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