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
Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Each season has its own cultural harbinger — modern-day versions of Demeter, Eurus, or Boreas — who symbolize a turning tide in time’s great march.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
The Red Sox were hoping his outstanding postseason performance — capped by a strikeout to end the World Series — was a harbinger of better things to come.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
Today the building is closed to the public and encircled by a moat, a harbinger of the fort’s inevitable fate.
—Nathaniel Rich, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harbinger
Noun
Is this a harbinger of how restricted free agency will operate moving forward?
—Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Each season has its own cultural harbinger — modern-day versions of Demeter, Eurus, or Boreas — who symbolize a turning tide in time’s great march.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
The Red Sox were hoping his outstanding postseason performance — capped by a strikeout to end the World Series — was a harbinger of better things to come.
—Jon Paul Hoornstra, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025
Today the building is closed to the public and encircled by a moat, a harbinger of the fort’s inevitable fate.
—Nathaniel Rich, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harbinger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harbinger
Noun
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Pic heralds from Deadpool and John Wick director David Leitch and Bullet Train producer Kelly McCormick’s 87North, and Bill Bindley and Mike Karz’s Gulfstream Pictures (Upgraded), which financed the movie.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
8 Sep. 2025
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Chinese research ships often trespass into Exclusive Economic Zones, and are now seen as a herald to a sovereignty challenge.—
Craig Hooper,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Moreover, the film is also a vision of a time pregnant with radical change, with Michèle’s dramatic leap off course foreshadowing the imminent crisis of the Francosphere.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
10 Sep. 2025
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That report speaks to inflation being a legitimate issue and could be foreshadowing a hotter CPI number.—
JJ Kinahan,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Schuyler, who a decade ago sold her company, Epitome Pictures, to DHX Media, a forerunner of Wild Brain Entertainment, was not available for comment on Wednesday.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Sep. 2025
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The reactor is the forerunner to the Aalo Pod, a 50-megawatt modular power plant designed specifically for data centers.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Before all that happened, though, there was the eight-course dinner, which went totally fine as predicted.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Sep. 2025
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Explore Fall, a website that provides resources and tools to track the changing colors of leaves, is predicting an earlier and quicker fall foliage peak for the millions of people looking to see this year's natural spectacle.—
Kyle Reiman,
ABC News,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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And the precursors for that reality may already be in motion, Metzger noted.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
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After a follow-up period of 7½ years, the team concluded that higher iron levels in two key parts of the brain were linked to a higher risk of mild cognitive impairment, which is typically a precursor to the development of Alzheimer’s dementia.—
Melissa Rudy,
FOXNews.com,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The bank double upgraded shares of the chocolate and cocoa products company to buy from sell and hiked its price target to $222 from $170, which implies more than 19% upside from Monday's closing price.—
Sean Conlon,
CNBC,
16 Sep. 2025
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As the name implies, this chili comes together in a flash, just like lightning.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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But the new wave of disavowals represents the latest sign that the conflict, which has killed thousands of Palestinians, has become polarizing within the mainstream of the party.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
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Flowers — purple mums, white and yellow lilies, and pink roses — had been laid near the university sign.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Andersen’s story may have prefigured this moment, although no major actor in the war wants to be the boy.—
MICHAEL KIMMAGE,
Foreign Affairs,
19 Aug. 2025
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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
Cite this Entry
“Harbinger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harbinger. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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