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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Zev Fima, CNBC, 8 Mar. 2026
Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Million-Follower Detective (February 12) This eight-episode Taiwanese crime thriller follows a mysterious woman who rises to fame and becomes a powerful influencer after accurately foretelling the murders of several social-media influencers.
—Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
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
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
Noun
In the wake of Friday’s abysmal jobs report , investors are scrambling to understand whether the loss of 92,000 jobs in February was a blip or a foretelling of more payroll cuts to come as t he adoption of AI by corporations increases .
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 8 Mar. 2026
Verb
The stories foretelling McGonigle’s talents are numerous.
—Cody Stavenhagen, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2026
Million-Follower Detective (February 12) This eight-episode Taiwanese crime thriller follows a mysterious woman who rises to fame and becomes a powerful influencer after accurately foretelling the murders of several social-media influencers.
—Dana Feldman, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
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
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
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Redick admitted that there was a freedom to the expectations suddenly being so low – a permanent-marker selection for playoff predictions among sports-debate broadcasts over the past week.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
19 Apr. 2026
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FanDuel is entering the space in a moment when prediction markets faceintense scrutiny over the risk of insider trading, along with larger ethical questions about the societal impact of letting people bet on elections or geopolitical conflicts.—
Clare Duffy,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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On Polymarket, three accounts earned $600,000 by correctly predicting the exact time of the Iranian ceasefire.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
10 Apr. 2026
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As the 2026 hurricane season approaches, forecasters are predicting a quieter Atlantic with fewer storms.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Powell has bristled at Warsh’s critiques Warsh has also called for the Fed to use new models, a potential reference to bringing new technologies and big data into the Fed’s forecasting process.—
Steve Liesman,Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
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Last week at Kingpins Amsterdam, Ana Paula Alves, founder of the trend forecasting firm Be Disobedient, explained how the walls are breaking down even further.—
Angela Velasquez,
Footwear News,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Inflation is expected to be around the low 2% area in 2026 and into 2027, but Yaron said central bank forecasts remain particularly challenging amid ongoing uncertainty.—
Hugh Leask,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2026
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The stock market’s buoyancy can be pinned to relief about the ceasefire, the pullback in oil prices, strong forecasts for earnings season and a recent rebound in tech stocks.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But maybe this is a self-fulfilling prophecy.—
Richard E. Vatz,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Apr. 2026
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Isaiah is one of the greatest books of the Old Testament regarding the prophecy of Jesus Christ as savior.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foretelling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foretelling. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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