1
as in futures
what is going to happen to someone in the time ahead
the telephone psychic proceeded to tell me my fortune—at great length
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in destinies
a state or end that seemingly has been decided beforehand
it was his fortune that he should wander in the wilderness before becoming king
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fortunes
Their small, spare yet tasteful apartment (the work of the collective Studio Bent) turns into a marital pressure cooker as Theo’s fortunes rise and Sally’s self-belief craters.
—
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
One great youth team — forged and developed largely outside the Slovak system — can’t change a country’s fortunes on its own.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Two hundred and fifty years ago, our founders pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to forge a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to democratic ideals.
—State Rep. Matt Blumenthal, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2026
In the 1850s, settlers from around the world poured into California to seek their fortunes during the Gold Rush.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
If only the Rose of Nevada were to sail again, maybe the village’s fortunes could be reversed.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
Paired with weak consumer demand from China — formerly one of the sector’s main growth drivers — and strategic missteps, the fortunes of Kering and others have declined.
—Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026
Probably not, but there’s something to learn from how Vrabel and his front office turned around the Patriots’ fortunes.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2026
Joy Neumeyer What do the far right’s fluctuating fortunes in Poland suggest about countries seeking an off-ramp from autocracy?
—Leah Downey, The New York Review of Books, 7 Feb. 2026
Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
One great youth team — forged and developed largely outside the Slovak system — can’t change a country’s fortunes on its own.
—Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Two hundred and fifty years ago, our founders pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to forge a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to democratic ideals.
—State Rep. Matt Blumenthal, Hartford Courant, 12 Feb. 2026
In the 1850s, settlers from around the world poured into California to seek their fortunes during the Gold Rush.
—Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2026
If only the Rose of Nevada were to sail again, maybe the village’s fortunes could be reversed.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026
Paired with weak consumer demand from China — formerly one of the sector’s main growth drivers — and strategic missteps, the fortunes of Kering and others have declined.
—Elsa Ohlen, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2026
Probably not, but there’s something to learn from how Vrabel and his front office turned around the Patriots’ fortunes.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 8 Feb. 2026
Joy Neumeyer What do the far right’s fluctuating fortunes in Poland suggest about countries seeking an off-ramp from autocracy?
—Leah Downey, The New York Review of Books, 7 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fortunes
Noun
-
Stock futures are down this morning, following a negative session for all three major averages.—
Josephine Rozzelle,
CNBC,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The damage — to their health, to their futures, to our humanity — is staggering.—
Heidi Stevens,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Pawel’s view was that we are all born innocent, and things happen to people to shape their destinies.—
Sally Susman,
Time,
27 Jan. 2026
-
Set in an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne and the last dragon has not yet passed from living memory, great destinies, powerful foes and dangerous exploits all await these improbable and incomparable friends.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The allegations raised fresh questions about the circumstances of Navalny's 2024 death and about the origin of a highly unusual toxin.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Common dreams about exes—and possible readings Each person’s dream about an ex is likely to have a meaning that’s entirely specific to them, involving both their feelings toward that ex and their life circumstances at the moment.—
Lisa Wong Macabasco,
Vogue,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Will there be a scene in which these main characters pass each other in their cars, either on the freeway or a main thoroughfare, thus suggesting that their fates are inevitably intertwined?—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
13 Feb. 2026
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For stars, there are three main fates that a star can have, all of which are heavily dependent on their mass at birth.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fortunes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fortunes. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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