as in forerunner
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
the hero's strange encounter with a grave digger is often seen as a foreshadowing of his own death
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in predicting
to give a slight indication of beforehand
a series of small tremors that foreshadowed the massive earthquake the next day
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 foreshadowing
Stacia Brown, Vulture, 26 June 2025
In a foreshadowing of what her later critics would call her victim-blaming, Ms. Brownmiller argued that Ms. Nussbaum was not a passive victim and should have been held partly accountable for the girl’s death.
—Katharine Q. Seelye, New York Times, 26 May 2025
Erin Doherty, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
Wilson led the conference in hitting percentage as a sophomore, foreshadowing her future success.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foreshadowing
Noun
John wonders if he and his foreshadowing are chopped liver.
—Stacia Brown, Vulture, 26 June 2025
In a foreshadowing of what her later critics would call her victim-blaming, Ms. Brownmiller argued that Ms. Nussbaum was not a passive victim and should have been held partly accountable for the girl’s death.
—Katharine Q. Seelye, New York Times, 26 May 2025
Verb
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters Congressional lawmakers are already trading blame over the looming government shutdown, foreshadowing what will likely be a bitter partisan dispute over the next several weeks, as funding hangs in the balance.
—Erin Doherty, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025
Wilson led the conference in hitting percentage as a sophomore, foreshadowing her future success.
—Paul Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foreshadowing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foreshadowing
Noun
-
The reactor is the forerunner to the Aalo Pod, a 50-megawatt modular power plant designed specifically for data centers.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Aug. 2025
-
Bittler has been with Paramount (and its forerunner Viacom) for some 25 years, most recently as executive vp communications for the company’s kids and family division, including Nickelodeon, Awesomeness and kids and family series at Paramount+.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The Sahm Rule has had an unblemished historical record of predicting recessions.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
However, the settlement is significantly higher than some legal experts were predicting.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Meanwhile, glitter shadow spilled under her eyes, filling in her waterline next to a brown eyeliner with hints of gold.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The Crafted Flatzz are available in five different artisanal recipes, according to Pizza Hut, including a Three Cheese Flatzz that is layered with sweet marinara sauce, mozzarella, parmesan, Romano and a hint of oregano.—
Marina Johnson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Events once considered rare—like the 2003 Northeast blackout that hit 50 million people—are now seen as precursors of larger disruptions.—
Robert Rapier,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Armani’s foray into the food and beverage world in 1998 served as a precursor to his interior design endeavors but greatly established his design vision.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
In a response posted to social media, Kennedy hit back at the pediatrics academy's criticism, implying that the organization's views were influenced by corporate pharmaceutical funders.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
-
The Moon was doing something that the Sun wasn’t — emitting gamma-rays — implying that, somehow, the Moon was doing a whole lot more than just reflecting sunlight.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
As portents go, after a testing summer for Newcastle, this did not look altogether positive.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
20 Aug. 2025
-
Televisual séances are no longer nightly, much less consensual, which is why the move by CBS is seen as a portent of a more general house cleaning over at NBC and ABC.—
Thomas Doherty,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Rather than preparing markets for a manageable transition, the president has chosen to use apocalyptic warnings as a judicial pressure campaign—ensuring that when the bill comes due, the economic shock will be amplified by his own dire predictions.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Sep. 2025
-
The Today with Jenna & Friends Instagram account reposted the prediction clip shortly after the couple's engagement news broke.—
Rachel McRady,
People.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
So when news surfaced that the two would reunite in 2025 for the Air Max 95’s 30th anniversary, fans were rightfully anticipating a strong collection.—
Riley Jones,
Footwear News,
3 Sep. 2025
-
Economists polled by Dow Jones were last anticipating nonfarm payrolls to have risen by 75,000 in August.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foreshadowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreshadowing. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share