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
Katherine Lagrave, AFAR Media, 26 June 2025
Thus, the early activity in the Pacific isn't likely a harbinger of storms to come in the Atlantic.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 22 June 2025
The attacks could be a harbinger of what may follow.
—Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025
Right now, the menu is filled with traditional American classics, but the breakfast and lunch croissant sandwiches are a harbinger of things to come when 88 Donuts gets up and rolling.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for harbinger
Noun
In 2012, the Wythe was a harbinger of things to come in Williamsburg.
—Katherine Lagrave, AFAR Media, 26 June 2025
Thus, the early activity in the Pacific isn't likely a harbinger of storms to come in the Atlantic.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 22 June 2025
The attacks could be a harbinger of what may follow.
—Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025
Right now, the menu is filled with traditional American classics, but the breakfast and lunch croissant sandwiches are a harbinger of things to come when 88 Donuts gets up and rolling.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for harbinger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harbinger
Noun
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Together, the quartet battled Julian McMahon Doctor Victor von Doom before reuniting for the sequel, 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, which introduced Doug Jones as the Silver Surfer, the cosmic herald of the world-devouring space god Galactus.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
3 July 2025
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Once again the plot bent toward total transformations of the Republic, accompanied by the thrilling heralds of Trump’s imminent downfall.—
Matthew Karp,
Harper's Magazine,
28 Feb. 2025
Verb
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But that play, in the seventh, merely foreshadowed an even better one in the eighth, when Parker unleashed a rocket, on the fly, to cut down the go-ahead run.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
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Clifton’s recent disaster was foreshadowed by past violations and another deadly explosion at the same facility in 2003.—
Connor Giffin,
The Courier-Journal,
2 July 2025
Noun
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Last week the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case Little vs. Hecox, which began in 2020 when Idaho became a forerunner for states with laws that ban trans athletes in women's and girls' sports.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
9 July 2025
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For some years, the Octagon was home to Ohio’s militia, a forerunner to today’s National Guard; during the summer, soldiers would erect tents and practice training exercises.—
Kevin Williams,
Smithsonian Magazine,
9 May 2025
Verb
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Western Tech doesn’t train truck drivers, but the college predicts a handful of its programs will be eligible for the new grants.—
Natalie Yahr,
jsonline.com,
19 July 2025
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The National Weather Service in Indianapolis predicted strong and potentially severe thunderstorms Saturday afternoon into the evening, and the rain has just arrived.—
Katie Wiseman,
IndyStar,
19 July 2025
Noun
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Chinese authorities have since controlled a number of these precursor chemicals.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
12 July 2025
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As a precursor of sorts for CBS stalwart Survivor (which returns for its 49th edition on September 24), Big Brother is the perfect reality appetizer before the ultimate main course.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
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The latest hike implies that 1.92 million bpd (or over 87%) of those cuts have now been unwound.—
Gaurav Sharma,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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Later, it’s implied that the actual kidnapper was Manon, who has the same tattoo.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
9 July 2025
Noun
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If the interview starts to feel like a brainstorm, that's a great sign.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
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Schneider highlighted that early signs of AI use cases — such as driving corporate headcount reductions and greater sales — have emerged and created a path towards reinvestment into future growth.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
10 July 2025
Verb
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This early embrace of mechanical rhythm prefigured what would later become a foundation of hip-hop and electronic music.—
Jose Valentino Ruiz,
The Conversation,
13 June 2025
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Its extreme hostility to the very idea of liberal governance, its skepticism of democracy, and its faith in the primacy of the wealthy over the law all prefigured the way that Trump and Elon Musk would assail key functions of government in 2025.—
Zack Beauchamp,
Vox,
7 Dec. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Harbinger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harbinger. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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