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
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
These could be harbingers of bigger things to come.
—Big Think, 13 Oct. 2025
One of the most worrisome harbingers of future affordability is that Florida added more than 700,000 units with gross rents higher than $1,200 monthly between 2012 and 2022.
—Jeffrey Steele, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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
These could be harbingers of bigger things to come.
—Big Think, 13 Oct. 2025
One of the most worrisome harbingers of future affordability is that Florida added more than 700,000 units with gross rents higher than $1,200 monthly between 2012 and 2022.
—Jeffrey Steele, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harbingers
Noun
-
With little support for the WHO among Republicans — who control both the House and the Senate — there has been no push from Congress to hold the country to the provision set out by their forerunners.—
Helen Branswell,
STAT,
21 Jan. 2026
-
Like these forerunners, the pleasures of Knight’s A Thousand Blows, which premiered all six episodes of its second season on Hulu Friday, lies in looking back on that thin sliver of time, about 15 years ago, when anachronistic old-timey crime was in vogue.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Its appearance on the horizon heralds the rising of the Dog Star Sirius, the brightest of all stars, about 17 minutes later.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Widespread showers across the Bay Area on Wednesday are expected to taper off Thursday before light rain Friday morning heralds the arrival of an atmospheric river Friday afternoon.—
Ethan Baron,
Mercury News,
31 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
The Dow is older than the S&P 500, which was established in 1957 (though precursors had existed since 1928) and the Nasdaq Composite, which was established in 1971.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Thiel’s claim climate policy and global cooperation are precursors to a one‑world dictatorship ignores how such policies actually work.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The move foreshadows a mandate on purchasing domestic AI silicon, according to a report from The Information.—
Andrew Nusca,
Fortune,
8 Jan. 2026
-
The film smartly foreshadows what will befall Alma and Maggie and Hank.—
Baz Bamigboye,
Deadline,
6 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Below, our bed bug experts detail how to recognize the earliest signs of a pest problem, the different types of available treatments, and top tips for preventing bed bugs from ever crossing your bedroom's threshold.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Nonetheless, people often laugh about how well astrological signs describe people born under them.—
Kathy Kristof,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
While most of the snow piled up since the end of January melted or was washed away by the rain the past few warmer days, NWS predicts temperatures will once again drop, causing the rain to turn to snow.—
Katie Wiseman,
IndyStar,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The seasonal outlook also predicts a 33% to 40% chance of above-average precipitation for the majority of the state during the spring months.—
Cailey Gleeson,
jsonline.com,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Congress must stop funding reactive solutions that treat symptoms while ignoring root causes.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
For people who have no symptoms and are 45 and older, it's considered a screening test and considered preventative.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Analyst Seth Seifman's $320 price target implies that shares of AeroVironment could rally 31% from here.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
17 Feb. 2026
-
The invitation implies a more low-key showcase than the typical launches held at the company’s campus in Cupertino, California.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harbingers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harbingers. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
