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
Alice Park, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
That much of the internet saw Bad Bunny’s Grammys look as a harbinger for more violence is probably more of a projection of our own preoccupations and fears.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 7 Feb. 2026
Some investors see its rock-bottom valuation and 20% year-to-date share-price drop as a harbinger of what awaits its peers.
—Bernard Goyder, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
His four-seamer is very straight, so even high school hitters were often able to put it in play, and there’s some head-snap in his delivery that is often (but hardly always) a harbinger of command issues.
—Keith Law, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harbinger
Noun
And the scores from the team event can be a bit of a harbinger of how skaters will rank in those later events, even though some judges will shift from the team competition to others.
—Alice Park, Time, 9 Feb. 2026
That much of the internet saw Bad Bunny’s Grammys look as a harbinger for more violence is probably more of a projection of our own preoccupations and fears.
—José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 7 Feb. 2026
Some investors see its rock-bottom valuation and 20% year-to-date share-price drop as a harbinger of what awaits its peers.
—Bernard Goyder, Fortune, 5 Feb. 2026
His four-seamer is very straight, so even high school hitters were often able to put it in play, and there’s some head-snap in his delivery that is often (but hardly always) a harbinger of command issues.
—Keith Law, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for harbinger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harbinger
Noun
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New studies, however, clearly show that medical marijuana is not nearly as effective as the pro-marijuana lobby heralds.—
Mike Gimbel,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Jan. 2026
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Looking for bathroom storage ideas to herald in a loo refresh?—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Just a few months later in the Western Conference finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Dallas Stars foreshadowed what one Olympic team could look like.—
Lia Assimakopoulos
Dallas Stars,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Although violence has often foreshadowed elections in Bangladesh, analysts say this vote is widely seen as especially volatile.—
Mayu Saini,
Sourcing Journal,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Sheila Bridges also comes to mind as such a forerunner for our community, embracing the beauty of our heritage and culture.—
Ashley Chalmers,
The Spruce,
11 Feb. 2026
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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
Verb
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Longitudinal studies across diverse populations will be needed to assess whether shifts in the oral microbiome can predict future weight gain, insulin resistance, or cardiometabolic decline, and perhaps most excitingly, whether modifying one's oral ecosystem alters systemic metabolic markers.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
14 Feb. 2026
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Huntington predicted that a new conflict would rage after the demise of Communism.—
Josef Joffe,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Built from abundant molecular precursors, these polymer systems offer intrinsic structural flexibility alongside tunable electrochemical properties.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026
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The move is often regarded as a precursor to actively intervening in currency markets.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Traditionally, programming a robot implied writing thousands of lines of code to define every movement.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Feb. 2026
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Words like bankrupt and default imply some sort of sudden collapse.—
Steve Booren,
Denver Post,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Stay vigilant by monitoring the sky for ominous signs and listening for the telltale sound of thunder.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
18 Feb. 2026
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It's all told from the vantage point of a woman trying to make sense of her life in the face of devastation, sometimes grasping for signs that only hindsight can uncover.—
Kathryn Palmer,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 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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Chess by telegraph also prefigured chess played through other means of telecommunications.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
11 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harbinger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harbinger. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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