foreshadow

verb

fȯr-ˈsha-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce foreshadow (audio)
Definition of foreshadownext
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

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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 foreshadow Back in King’s Landing, Rhaenyra comes to find that her prisoner Helaena has taken her own life but left a parting gift for the queen that foreshadows a potential prophecy of Rhaenyra’s path towards madness. — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 9 Aug. 2026 Did Matt write Leo’s character specifically to foreshadow that? — Matt Minton, Variety, 8 Aug. 2026 Pork Soda, in particular, foreshadowed the weight of nu-metal acts like Korn, who also deployed sagging bass in service of profoundly unsettling narratives. — Sasha Geffen, Pitchfork, 2 Aug. 2026 As all of this finale drama is happening around him, Danny gets increasingly drunker, foreshadowing absolutely nothing good coming our way. — Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 30 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for foreshadow
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foreshadow
  1. prefigure
  2. predict
  3. imply
  4. herald
  5. anticipate
  6. adumbrate
  7. foresee
  8. harbinger
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
  • Tuesday, David Berman of the Eastern District clarified that the Eastern District did not mean to imply through the filing that Rozier was part of a gang.
    — Mike Vorkunov, New York Times, 12 Aug. 2026
  • In 2010, Hilton posted a picture of the then 17 year old Cyrus getting out of a car, with some parts pixelated, implying the child star was not fully clothed.
    — Hannah Abraham, Forbes.com, 10 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
  • 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
  • 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
Definition of adumbrate
Verb
  • Last month, Semafor reported that Amazon’s sustainability chief foresees a multi-year uptick in the company’s carbon footprint.
    — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • To be fair, a number of the calamities should have been foreseen, probably.
    — Brian Grubb, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of foresee
Verb
  • This could harbinger a new age of electro-tech in Asia.
    — Ian Dexter Palmer, Forbes.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of harbinger

Browse Nearby Words

foresees
foreshadow
foreshadowed
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Cite this Entry

“Foreshadow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreshadow. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of foreshadow for Spanish Speakers

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