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
Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 1 June 2025
The eerie, low glimmering of Venus is a harbinger of daybreak, which begins exactly at that same time.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 22 May 2025
Koepka, who has five major victories to his name, began his first round with a bogey on the 10th hole, a harbinger of things to come.
—Kevin Sabet, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025
And, in hindsight, a harbinger for even worse puck luck to come for the burgundy and blue, as Blackwood’s blunder was still to come.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harbinger
Noun
Paul then recalled an instance where The Studio actor came out of the production office and solemnly beckoned him to come over, a seeming harbinger of bad news.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 1 June 2025
The eerie, low glimmering of Venus is a harbinger of daybreak, which begins exactly at that same time.
—Joe Rao, Space.com, 22 May 2025
Koepka, who has five major victories to his name, began his first round with a bogey on the 10th hole, a harbinger of things to come.
—Kevin Sabet, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025
And, in hindsight, a harbinger for even worse puck luck to come for the burgundy and blue, as Blackwood’s blunder was still to come.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harbinger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harbinger
Noun
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Brian Wilson’s death on Wednesday at the age of 82 heralds an end to one idea of Southern California — as the temperate paradise of ascendant Americana.—
August Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2025
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Budget cuts herald further losses of staff and programs.—
Bushraa Khatib,
Baltimore Sun,
10 June 2025
Verb
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Knowing And Just Like That, the show may be foreshadowing a grand gesture from Aidan that arrives just as Carrie is beginning to have feelings for Duncan.—
Megan McCluskey,
Time,
27 June 2025
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In March, the the Monitor’s View foreshadowed the impact of the foreign aid cuts: These cuts by wealthier countries, predict many aid experts, are having dramatic consequences for the world’s most vulnerable people.—
Evelyne Musambi,
Christian Science Monitor,
20 June 2025
Noun
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This is, in part, explained by the institutional memory of the competition’s forerunner — the Intercontinental Cup — and the legendary battles of a bygone era.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
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Another forerunner of today’s scene is Ansedonia, a hillside community of upscale homes near Capalbio that in the 1960s became popular with creative types from the Italian capital.—
Lee Marshall,
Travel + Leisure,
15 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Research and advisory firm Gartner predicted in February that by 2027, the average prices of application programming interfaces for genAI will fall to less than 1% of the current average price for the same technology.—
Bernice Ooi,
CNBC,
26 June 2025
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Even in the Aspen X Games test run, the tool predicted a top 3 order of finish that differed from the betting lines set by oddsmakers.—
David Bloom,
Forbes.com,
25 June 2025
Noun
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Cravats were a precursor to the modern necktie, which emerged in the late 19th and early 20th century.—
Kristopher Fraser,
Robb Report,
20 June 2025
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Real Madrid were among the favorites to win the first-of-its-kind tournament, which is a precursor to next year’s FIFA World Cup.—
Sean Neumann,
People.com,
19 June 2025
Verb
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Billionaire hedge-fund manager Bill Ackman offered to bankroll someone, anyone, who would run against Mamdani, implying his mayoralty would spur a flight with the ultrarich.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
27 June 2025
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An old friend of Donna’s who, it’s implied, became more than friends after her husband left.—
Whitney Friedlander,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
Noun
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Choose salmon that looks moist as this is a sign of freshness.—
Stacey Lastoe,
Southern Living,
28 June 2025
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Dobson, who signed a max-term deal with a $9.5 million cap hit as part of a sign-and-trade to the Canadiens, has proven himself an explosive right-shot defenseman, especially on the power play.—
Rob Rossi,
New York Times,
28 June 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 3 Jul. 2025.
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