as in herald
one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another
her father's successful job interview was seen as a harbinger of better times to come
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to herald
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the hope that the housing slump does not harbinger a general economic recession
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harbinger
Joseph Choi, The Hill, 20 Jan. 2026
The experience of McIver, Watson Coleman, and Menendez in May was the harbinger of a policy shift at ICE.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
In the eyes of Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen, the reaction inside the White House to Renee Good’s death earlier this month — and the president’s quick exoneration of the immigration agent who shot her — served as a troubling harbinger for the Bay Area.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2026
Eclipses are harbingers of change, often bringing intense shifts in perspective and catapulting us into new realities.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harbinger
Noun
Infectious disease experts warn that one year of sustained measles transmission is a harbinger of worse developments to come.
—Joseph Choi, The Hill, 20 Jan. 2026
The experience of McIver, Watson Coleman, and Menendez in May was the harbinger of a policy shift at ICE.
—Jonathan Blitzer, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
In the eyes of Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen, the reaction inside the White House to Renee Good’s death earlier this month — and the president’s quick exoneration of the immigration agent who shot her — served as a troubling harbinger for the Bay Area.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 18 Jan. 2026
Eclipses are harbingers of change, often bringing intense shifts in perspective and catapulting us into new realities.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harbinger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harbinger
Noun
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Hibiscus plants brighten up gardens with their big, colorful flowers that herald summer.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Dec. 2025
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The Thanksgiving holiday, a staple of the waning autumn days and a herald of upcoming Christmas festivities, has stood as a pillar of American culture since before the country’s founding.—
Angele Latham,
Nashville Tennessean,
21 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Erika Kirk’s endorsement of Vice President JD Vance for president in 2028 and the early jockeying by prospective Democratic candidates foreshadow the post-Trump future ahead.—
Colin Pascal,
Baltimore Sun,
12 Jan. 2026
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This is news that Jim foreshadowed to Investing Club members in his first Sunday think piece of the year.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
12 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The forerunner of British Invasion took the summit of American entertainment, which was a huge deal across generations.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026
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Manufactured between 1960 and 1980, Scouts were beefy 4x4s and a forerunner to the SUV.—
Justin Wingerter,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Next, the researchers aim to improve their technique further, with the goal of predicting not only when solar activity will intensify, but also where on the sun’s surface active regions are likely to form.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Feb. 2026
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The team predicts that, within five years, blood tests for early Parkinson’s diagnoses could become more common within clinical practice.—
Angelica Stabile,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Alessandro Michele, at Valentino, was also thinking of how to collide reality and fantasy, staging his collection in nooks inspired by the kaiser panorama, an early 20th century precursor to cinema, in which viewers sat around a circle, staring into a contraption displaying slides.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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Passionate about utopian socialism and architecture, Gaudí’s forms and shapes were totally fresh, otherworldly and are sometimes referred to as a precursor of the Surrealist movement, of which Salvador Dalí was a key proponent.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Newsom’s interview Monday on MS NOW, the cable channel beloved by Democratic politicians and activist voters, implied anew that his final year as governor will be dominated by his all-but-certain bid for the White House in 2028.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
7 Jan. 2026
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Experts, however, caution the situation is much more complicated than the president might imply, and oil stocks lost steam on Tuesday after their Monday rally, undoing some of the previous day’s gains.—
Rebecca Schneid,
Time,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
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But absent any concerning signs that the labor market is falling a cliff, the Fed will also likely turn to inflation data for the cue on when to lower rates again.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
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Neither was there an army ready to defend Rapa Nui—crowds wielding spears and clubs were not uncommon in the Pacific—or any sign of violence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Military action in Venezuela today without allies may prefigure action tomorrow against allies—for example, to invade and annex Greenland.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
3 Jan. 2026
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Tragedy strikes many times in this decades-spanning story, in many forms, but the defining event of Grainier’s life sees his home burned to the ground, an event that eerily prefigures the LA fires of early 2025.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harbinger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harbinger. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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