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
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Recent Examples of harbingers
Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
In recent years, there have also been reports of vandalism and attacks on robotaxis and delivery robots, which some see as harbingers of a high-tech future not everyone asked for.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026
If nothing else, Kidman should rally the rest of her Big Little Lies castmates as a roving band of blonde soothsayers and harbingers of eternal sleep.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
Along with asparagus, hearty leafy greens, peas, and ramps, garlic scapes are among the first harbingers of an entire season of garden fun ahead.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Apr. 2026
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
At worst, communications can be harbingers of disaster or indifference if they’re not done effectively.
—Pam Abrahamsson, Forbes.com, 20 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
Noun
If canaries in coal mines were harbingers of safe conditions, surely piping plovers at Waukegan Beach mean the city is overcoming its polluted past.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
In recent years, there have also been reports of vandalism and attacks on robotaxis and delivery robots, which some see as harbingers of a high-tech future not everyone asked for.
—Clare Duffy, CNN Money, 17 Apr. 2026
If nothing else, Kidman should rally the rest of her Big Little Lies castmates as a roving band of blonde soothsayers and harbingers of eternal sleep.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2026
Along with asparagus, hearty leafy greens, peas, and ramps, garlic scapes are among the first harbingers of an entire season of garden fun ahead.
—Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Apr. 2026
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
At worst, communications can be harbingers of disaster or indifference if they’re not done effectively.
—Pam Abrahamsson, Forbes.com, 20 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harbingers
Noun
-
Even the Hammurabi Code, a set of laws created by the sixth Babylonian king in approximately 1760 bce, established forerunners of today’s interest rate and minimum wage laws.—
Chris Roush,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 Apr. 2026
-
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
Verb
-
Hekt’s debut album heralds a union between the left-field pop scene of his native Copenhagen and the influential Glasgow label Numbers, whose formidable run of 2010s releases—including several landmark SOPHIE singles—has left a neon imprint on the new Danish vanguard.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
1 May 2026
-
Baisakhi heralds the beginning of the harvest season in Punjab, and farmers come together to celebrate the abundance provided by nature.—
Tamanna Nangia,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Many scientists believe that the vocal systems of great apes were too limited to be considered precursors of human language, but the work of Crockford, Berthet and their colleagues suggests otherwise.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
-
These foods don’t have sky-high amounts of melatonin, and some contain more precursors to melatonin than the hormone itself, Tahir says.—
Sarah Klein,
Time,
28 May 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
-
The driver, identified as Rivas, showed signs of impairment, state police alleged, and fled as troopers checked him out for a potential DWI arrest.—
Dennis Romero,
NBC news,
9 June 2026
-
Days later, the campaign was printing the slogan on lawn signs and using it on social media.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2026
Verb
-
Weather Underground predicts a 24% rain chance, partly cloudy skies and the same heat as the opener.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
-
Morgan Stanley predicts the space economy could surpass $1 trillion by 2040, and while industries from semiconductors to fiber-optic cables stand to benefit, medicine could see the most immediate disruption.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Jameela was born by emergency C-section in January 2024 after her mother, Sekani, began showing symptoms of preeclampsia.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 June 2026
-
Most people who are infected with West Nile virus will not develop symptoms, but those who do may experience a mild form of the illness, which can include fever, headache, body aches, swollen lymph glands or a rash, according to the IDOH.—
Michelle L. Quinn,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
That implies nearly 44% from Monday’s close.—
Deena Zaidi,
CNBC,
9 June 2026
-
Summer, and all the vacation days and potential travel that implies, is upon us.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Harbingers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harbingers. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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