as in forerunners
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 heralds
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of harbingers
Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2026
These harbingers of doom turn out to be on to something, because shortly after, the couple are in an accident in which Jakob is killed.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
Shards of glass cut into my palms and shins, while the wind hurled sharp granules of ice into my face, harbingers of a storm that was already approaching from the west.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Eclipses are harbingers of change, often bringing intense shifts in perspective and catapulting us into new realities.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
Few harbingers are more promising than the Swedish singer and producer Robyn.
—Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 26 Dec. 2025
Pressure is also building in pockets of the labor market that are typically harbingers of broader stress.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 9 Dec. 2025
The surfers, initially viewed by some as welcome curiosities and by others as nuisances, became harbingers of economic salvation through tourism, now the dominant industry, though still a relatively new one.
—David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Keep an eye on these state elections Could these statewide elections be harbingers of what's to come in the 2026 midterms?
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Noun
If popular wine auction results are truly harbingers of pendulum swings in the world of wine, then Cabernet Franc is having a moment.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 29 Mar. 2026
These harbingers of doom turn out to be on to something, because shortly after, the couple are in an accident in which Jakob is killed.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
Shards of glass cut into my palms and shins, while the wind hurled sharp granules of ice into my face, harbingers of a storm that was already approaching from the west.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Eclipses are harbingers of change, often bringing intense shifts in perspective and catapulting us into new realities.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
Few harbingers are more promising than the Swedish singer and producer Robyn.
—Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 26 Dec. 2025
Pressure is also building in pockets of the labor market that are typically harbingers of broader stress.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 9 Dec. 2025
The surfers, initially viewed by some as welcome curiosities and by others as nuisances, became harbingers of economic salvation through tourism, now the dominant industry, though still a relatively new one.
—David Amsden, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Keep an eye on these state elections Could these statewide elections be harbingers of what's to come in the 2026 midterms?
—Phaedra Trethan, USA Today, 28 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harbingers
Noun
-
The Norwegian ended his season before the Olympics to further recover from a shoulder injury, but attended the finals as one of the forerunners, who test a course shortly before a race starts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
These were the forerunners of today’s robots.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Charlie Weimers, a lawmaker from the right-wing Sweden Democrats and strong proponent of harsher migration policies, said Thursday’s vote heralds a new era in the EU.—
Sam McNeil,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Not to mention, at least in my case, winter is kept busy with trips to warm gyms for basketball games, whereas March heralds the spring sports season, the return of outdoor sports and bracing against the elements at baseball games.—
Will Richmond,
The Providence Journal,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Such engravings, which depict the wackily maximalist style à la mode, including oodles of feathers and furbelows, were, in essence, early precursors to modern fashion magazines.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Fixing Li-ion battery limits The method works under ambient conditions and relies on simple precursors.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
With almost three years left in his final term, Trump’s absence from CPAC foreshadows his eventual departure as leader of the GOP and the conservative movement, a role typically served by the president or the party’s leading contender for the White House.—
Gromer Jeffers Jr.
Political,
Dallas Morning News,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The book wonderfully foreshadows one of its best moments, but the film doesn’t do this at all, setting up the action with a few lines of dialog instead.—
Matthew Razak,
Space.com,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Serious Medical and Emotional Neglect Turner said Kaiko arrived in poor health, suffering from multiple medical issues and signs of prolonged neglect.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Oil steadied and Asian stocks were mostly trading lower Tuesday as signs of a de-escalation of the Iran war remained mixed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The forecasting service predicts 11 to 16 named storms, including 4 to 7 hurricanes and 2 to 4 major hurricanes.—
Milena Malaver,
Miami Herald,
25 Mar. 2026
-
AccuWeather predicts a 40% possibility of more than 14 named storms in 2026 and a 15% possibility of more than 16 storms.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The increase in cases and aggressive diagnoses means young people should be especially aware of potential symptoms, Kamal said.—
Kerry Breen,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
-
These indicators can include cold and flu-like symptoms, a red rash or white spots inside the mouth.—
Katie Silver,
NPR,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Nordic skiing, as its name implies, is the furthest thing from an American sport.—
Bill McKibben,
New Yorker,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The exhibit is an homage to chess, and all of the possibilities and complications the game implies.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harbingers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harbingers. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
