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
Piet Levy, jsonline.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Jesus also washed the feet of his disciples and shared a foreshadowing of Judas’ betrayal at the Garden of Gethsemane.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 22 Feb. 2026
Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2026
Be Very Afraid is like foreshadowing.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foreshadowing
Noun
That was probably apt enough foreshadowing for what was to come.
—Piet Levy, jsonline.com, 28 Mar. 2026
Jesus also washed the feet of his disciples and shared a foreshadowing of Judas’ betrayal at the Garden of Gethsemane.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 22 Feb. 2026
Verb
Thousands gathered outside the gates hoping to glimpse the couple, turning what might have been a society wedding into a national spectacle—and foreshadowing the intense public fascination that would follow the Kennedys for decades.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2026
Be Very Afraid is like foreshadowing.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foreshadowing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foreshadowing
Noun
-
Las Damas was founded in May 1948 and put on the Beachcomber’s Carnival, a forerunner of the Sunset Beach Art Festival, in July of that year.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
7 May 2026
-
The brand was also a forerunner with exclusive collaborations.—
Rosemary Feitelberg,
Footwear News,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
This knowledge is critical for monitoring and predicting how our ocean-climate system is shifting, affecting both people and ecosystems in our changing world.—
Kurt Snibbe,
Oc Register,
8 May 2026
-
Twenty years ago, during my first year as a geoscience undergraduate, a lecturer told me that predicting when and where the next major eruption would take place was a pipe dream — the implication being that volcanoes are far too idiosyncratic and mercurial to have much in common with one another.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
This desire to find connection in loss hints that death can often be more tangible to process than estrangement.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
-
The first hint of celebrity Once America became an independent nation, its hatred for the crown turned into intrigue.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The missive, which could be a precursor to a lawsuit, opens another avenue of attack against the controversial $111-billion deal, which would transform the smaller Paramount into an industry titan.—
Meg James,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2026
-
And then, thanks to the precursors to the storm that ultimately ended the first round early — the wind, above all else — the weather made the last few shots on the course brutal.—
Alex Zietlow,
Charlotte Observer,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
The hospitalization estimates are equally absurd, implying that one in 18 additional Americans would have required hospitalization for COVID from December 2020–November 2022.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
-
But the majority of analysts have only a hold rating, with a price target implying shares will pull back about 7% over the next year, according to LSEG.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The company’s example was seen by many as a portent of the AI future.—
Geoff Colvin,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Rather than receiving traditional care, however, Hylton was unwittingly plunged into a cold experiment in using remote work to offset hospital staffing shortages, which could be a grim portent in an age of AI automation.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The team further confirmed its validity by comparing predictions with experimental results across a wide range of material combinations.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
3 May 2026
-
This at its core was a junk data problem because their world model lacked sufficient understanding of physics leading to realistic prediction.—
Jason Corso,
Fortune,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Ever since Prince Harry and King Charles reunited for the first time in years in September 2025, people have been eagerly anticipating their next meeting.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
7 May 2026
-
That distinction reflects Toquero’s broader ethos, which centers on anticipating what’s next and creating spaces with a strong sense of soul.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
5 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foreshadowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreshadowing. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
