as in prediction
a declaration that something will happen in the future
the ludicrous foretellings of self-styled psychics at the end of each year
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as in predicting
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Dissimilar Words
as in reading
to tell of or describe beforehand
a 16th-century astrologer who, some claim, accurately foretold 20th-century events
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of foretelling
Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
The opening night in Brazil provided the ominous but apparently foretelling moment, when one star player left his passing lane on a game-deciding third down.
—Sam McDowell December 15, Kansas City Star, 15 Dec. 2025
The track, written and produced by Danny Elfman, premiered in the 1993 film The Nightmare Before Christmas (foretelling the blend of Halloween and Christmas decorations on the latest chart).
—Gary Trust, Billboard, 11 Nov. 2025
Those are the conclusions of two recent reports about spiraling utility bills, one looking at the past, the other foretelling the future.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
Miami had been favored by 13 1/2 points but that whittled to 10 1/2 by kickoff, perhaps foretelling the close game as late gambling money flooded to the Cardinals.
—Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
Every day there are LinkedIn posts, as well as Forbes, NYT, and WSJ articles about the massive capital reallocation by customers and investors to AI from SaaS, foretelling the end of SaaS.
—Barry Libert, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
An optimist would read the internal market action in recent weeks as foretelling an early-cycle reacceleration/reflation dynamic setting up.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
Apparently, the little man was an oracle, foretelling deaths with certainty.
—Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
The opening night in Brazil provided the ominous but apparently foretelling moment, when one star player left his passing lane on a game-deciding third down.
—Sam McDowell December 15, Kansas City Star, 15 Dec. 2025
The track, written and produced by Danny Elfman, premiered in the 1993 film The Nightmare Before Christmas (foretelling the blend of Halloween and Christmas decorations on the latest chart).
—Gary Trust, Billboard, 11 Nov. 2025
Those are the conclusions of two recent reports about spiraling utility bills, one looking at the past, the other foretelling the future.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 18 Oct. 2025
Miami had been favored by 13 1/2 points but that whittled to 10 1/2 by kickoff, perhaps foretelling the close game as late gambling money flooded to the Cardinals.
—Miami Herald, 18 Oct. 2025
Every day there are LinkedIn posts, as well as Forbes, NYT, and WSJ articles about the massive capital reallocation by customers and investors to AI from SaaS, foretelling the end of SaaS.
—Barry Libert, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
An optimist would read the internal market action in recent weeks as foretelling an early-cycle reacceleration/reflation dynamic setting up.
—Michael Santoli, CNBC, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foretelling
Noun
-
Those are, indeed, pat, credible theories and predictions.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
8 Jan. 2026
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Adding weight to Meloni’s prediction of upcoming turbulence is the fact that 43 members of Congress have already announced plans to leave.—
Juan Williams,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Dexcom — Shares of the glucose monitor manufacturer rose more than 5% after preannouncing fourth-quarter results and offering a forecast for 2026, predicting revenue growth of between 11% and 13%.—
Christina Cheddar Berk,Fred Imbert,
CNBC,
12 Jan. 2026
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Many pundits were predicting a big Best Motion Picture Drama win for Sinners, and that might have been very popular for the audience at home, which actually has heard of and maybe even seen that hit film.—
Pete Hammond,
Deadline,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The OpenSnow reporting and forecasting service is predicting four to eight additional inches at many resorts between Wednesday evening and Friday morning, although founding meteorologist Joel Gratz acknowledged that the weather models for this system have been a bit confounding.—
John Meyer,
Denver Post,
7 Jan. 2026
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Prices will also stay at today’s lofty levels, said Sam Fiorani, AutoForecast’s vice president of global vehicle forecasting.—
Bloomberg Wire,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
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There is no significant chance of rain in the forecast at the moment, but a small chance for a few showers south of I-20 on Tuesday.—
Lauren Bostwick,
CBS News,
11 Jan. 2026
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Boston will likely see a couple days with temperatures well above freezing in the coming week and may get a coastal storm heading into the weekend, according to National Weather Service forecasts.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
11 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Each gift contained a prophecy about the identity and destiny of the newborn, while the names and kingdoms of origin of Melchior, Gaspar, and Balthazar, documented in ancient texts such as the Liber Pontificalis, reinforce the universality of the tribute.—
Nadia Cantú,
AZCentral.com,
6 Jan. 2026
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Rawayana remained quiet throughout the day, though their latest album release, launched on New Year’s Day, felt like a sudden prophecy.—
Leonor C. Suárez,
Rolling Stone,
4 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foretelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foretelling. Accessed 22 Jan. 2026.
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