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
Relevance
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
Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 23 Dec. 2025
Before the coup, the export sector was seen as harbinger of business growth for the country, with global brands and business expanding their interests in Myanmar and the country being seen as a gateway for international business engagement and manufacturing growth.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 22 Dec. 2025
With Anthony Davis out and Dallas missing several other teammates to injuries, this game may be a harbinger of things to come as Flagg becomes a centerpiece of the Mavericks' offense.
—CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
Marc Short, a former aide to ex-vice president Mike Pence, predicted earlier this week that Democrats’ recent election victories could be a harbinger ahead of the 2026 midterms, suggesting Americans prefer divided government.
—Steff Danielle Thomas, The Hill, 13 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harbinger
Noun
And then there is Broomfield County, which is either an anomaly or a harbinger.
—Aldo Svaldi, Denver Post, 23 Dec. 2025
Before the coup, the export sector was seen as harbinger of business growth for the country, with global brands and business expanding their interests in Myanmar and the country being seen as a gateway for international business engagement and manufacturing growth.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 22 Dec. 2025
With Anthony Davis out and Dallas missing several other teammates to injuries, this game may be a harbinger of things to come as Flagg becomes a centerpiece of the Mavericks' offense.
—CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025
Marc Short, a former aide to ex-vice president Mike Pence, predicted earlier this week that Democrats’ recent election victories could be a harbinger ahead of the 2026 midterms, suggesting Americans prefer divided government.
—Steff Danielle Thomas, The Hill, 13 Dec. 2025
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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Like these forerunners, the pleasures of Knight’s A Thousand Blows, which premiered all six episodes of its second season on Hulu Friday, lies in looking back on that thin sliver of time, about 15 years ago, when anachronistic old-timey crime was in vogue.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
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The League of Nations was the forerunner to the UN and is famous among historians for its formation after the wreckage of World War I and its almost immediate failure to prevent the rise of authoritarianism in the 1930s that gave way to World War II.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The study by Diversified Energy Specialists predicts that smaller fuel dealers will be negatively affected by the policy more than larger companies.—
Tim Dunn,
Boston Herald,
14 Jan. 2026
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Not to mention, Pinterest predicts cool blue will be the new millennial pink (Sabrina Carpenter’s already commandeered the shade on and off stage, with Hailey Bieber closely following in some of her streetwear looks).—
Irene Richardson,
InStyle,
14 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The vast majority of these deaths are caused by illicit fentanyl which experts report is typically synthesized in Mexico from precursor chemicals provided by Chinese operatives and brought into the United States via vehicles passing through official ports of entry.—
Charles LeBaron,
Time,
13 Jan. 2026
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The Golden Globes are a great precursor to what is to come there.—
Noelle Lilley,
CBS News,
13 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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Speaking with reporters before heading to Switzerland, the president showed no sign of softening his approach to the Greenland issue.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
21 Jan. 2026
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Phillips appeared a few times, but there was no sign of volunteers present or brown bag meals, images Hunger Busters has presented on social media accounts.—
Andrea Lucia,
CBS News,
21 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 22 Jan. 2026.
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