as in fates
a state or end that seemingly has been decided beforehand
I just knew that it wasn't my destiny to end up in a dead-end job
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Recent Examples of destinies
In this way, the film becomes a manifesto for alternate destinies within the Black experience, and a semi-formal goodbye letter to the delusional but politically expedient optimism of the 2010s, wherein the end of the neoliberal order becomes a gateway to renewed self-possession and agency.
—
Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
That’s the hope of the United States and Israel, which have urged the Iranian people to take hold of their destinies following the war.
—Ron Kampeas, Sun Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2026
Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2026
This observation shows how subtle cosmic architecture directs galaxies' destinies, influencing their formation, interactions, and evolution.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Pawel’s view was that we are all born innocent, and things happen to people to shape their destinies.
—Sally Susman, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
In 2022, the 'woman life freedom' [movement] was mainly about the rights of women to determine their own destinies.
—Tucker Reals, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Strategists caution that off-year elections are signals, not destinies, with economic conditions, turnout dynamics, and campaign messaging still capable of reshaping the map before November 2026.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 1 Jan. 2026
In 2023, on the fiftieth anniversary of Pinochet’s coup, Boric reminded Chileans of the terrible price their country had paid, and announced a national search plan to ascertain the destinies of as many as three thousand citizens who remain missing.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2025
Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
That’s the hope of the United States and Israel, which have urged the Iranian people to take hold of their destinies following the war.
—Ron Kampeas, Sun Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2026
Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 26 Feb. 2026
This observation shows how subtle cosmic architecture directs galaxies' destinies, influencing their formation, interactions, and evolution.
—Paul Sutter, Space.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Pawel’s view was that we are all born innocent, and things happen to people to shape their destinies.
—Sally Susman, Time, 27 Jan. 2026
In 2022, the 'woman life freedom' [movement] was mainly about the rights of women to determine their own destinies.
—Tucker Reals, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026
Strategists caution that off-year elections are signals, not destinies, with economic conditions, turnout dynamics, and campaign messaging still capable of reshaping the map before November 2026.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 1 Jan. 2026
In 2023, on the fiftieth anniversary of Pinochet’s coup, Boric reminded Chileans of the terrible price their country had paid, and announced a national search plan to ascertain the destinies of as many as three thousand citizens who remain missing.
—Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for destinies
Noun
-
If our fates were inscribed in our genetics, why would anyone bother to maintain a skin-care routine, much less go to the trouble of jamming his tongue against the top of his mouth or whacking himself with a hammer?—
Becca Rothfeld,
New Yorker,
7 Mar. 2026
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While their genre peers’ fates have varied, Mumford & Sons remained perennial arena and festival headliners, with an ambitious midcareer streak in the studio.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The club’s fortunes have been transformed over the five years since, but even with A-list celebrities in the stands, lending an air of celebrity that seems at odds with this unpretentious North Wales town, a sense of earthiness endures.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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Or worse, awake and weeping in her rocking chair, quietly lamenting our turn in fortunes.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Destinies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/destinies. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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