as in to prefigure
to give a slight indication of beforehand
a series of small tremors that foreshadowed the massive earthquake the next day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 foreshadow
In a 2015 interview with Plough publications, Yancey seemed to foreshadow what that might be.
—
John Blake, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
An early arrival of the new guidelines had been foreshadowed.
—Sarah Todd, STAT, 7 Jan. 2026
The film smartly foreshadows what will befall Alma and Maggie and Hank.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
This solid resin, used to embalm the dead and as a painkiller (mixed with wine), poignantly foreshadowed Jesus' sacrificial destiny.
—Nadia Cantú, AZCentral.com, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foreshadow
John Blake, CNN Money, 8 Jan. 2026
An early arrival of the new guidelines had been foreshadowed.
—Sarah Todd, STAT, 7 Jan. 2026
The film smartly foreshadows what will befall Alma and Maggie and Hank.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 6 Jan. 2026
This solid resin, used to embalm the dead and as a painkiller (mixed with wine), poignantly foreshadowed Jesus' sacrificial destiny.
—Nadia Cantú, AZCentral.com, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foreshadow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foreshadow
Verb
-
Military action in Venezuela today without allies may prefigure action tomorrow against allies—for example, to invade and annex Greenland.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
3 Jan. 2026
-
Tragedy strikes many times in this decades-spanning story, in many forms, but the defining event of Grainier’s life sees his home burned to the ground, an event that eerily prefigures the LA fires of early 2025.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The study by Diversified Energy Specialists predicts that smaller fuel dealers will be negatively affected by the policy more than larger companies.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Not to mention, Pinterest predicts cool blue will be the new millennial pink (Sabrina Carpenter’s already commandeered the shade on and off stage, with Hailey Bieber closely following in some of her streetwear looks).—
Irene Richardson,
InStyle,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Newsom’s interview Monday on MS NOW, the cable channel beloved by Democratic politicians and activist voters, implied anew that his final year as governor will be dominated by his all-but-certain bid for the White House in 2028.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Experts, however, caution the situation is much more complicated than the president might imply, and oil stocks lost steam on Tuesday after their Monday rally, undoing some of the previous day’s gains.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Scores of lawmakers and union members heralded the return of the Worker Protection Act in the state Capitol on Thursday, six days before the legislature was set to settle in for its 2026 session.—
Seth Klamann,
Denver Post,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Mamdani is being heralded as a hero for espousing one of the most destructive ideologies on the planet.—
Nicole Russell,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The high-flying sequel to 2024's box office sensation earned five nominations in total — far fewer than many awards prognosticators had anticipated — but with both Erivo and her costar, Ariana Grande, in contention in acting categories.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Jan. 2026
-
There will be increasingly high cloud cover throughout the day, but no precipitation is anticipated.—
Lauren Bostwick,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
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
Verb
-
However, Mulongo does not foresee chaos on polling day.—
Nimi Princewill,
CNN Money,
14 Jan. 2026
-
Investors also foresee the strain in China-Japan relations benefitting spending on South Korean businesses, leading to gains for Korean retail and consumer stocks, according to Bloomberg.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foreshadow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreshadow. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
