as in to loom
to be about to happen
for confirmed pessimists some disaster always seems to be impending
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Recent Examples of impend
Blankfein is far from the first financial heavyweight to warn of impending turmoil.
—
Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 4 Mar. 2026
During an eclipse, people would bang drums, shoot arrows, or create loud noises to scare the dragon away, as a red moon was seen as a sign of impending misfortune or celestial imbalance.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson and safety Jaylinn Hawkins, both starters in 2025, are impending free agents, and both players could have robust markets.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
The cats’ impending eviction turned them into campus celebrities, into what some saw as victims of an inflexible university bureaucracy.
—Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impend
Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 4 Mar. 2026
During an eclipse, people would bang drums, shoot arrows, or create loud noises to scare the dragon away, as a red moon was seen as a sign of impending misfortune or celestial imbalance.
—Alan Bradley, Space.com, 2 Mar. 2026
Outside linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson and safety Jaylinn Hawkins, both starters in 2025, are impending free agents, and both players could have robust markets.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
The cats’ impending eviction turned them into campus celebrities, into what some saw as victims of an inflexible university bureaucracy.
—Dan Horn, Cincinnati Enquirer, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for impend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impend
Verb
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Pittsburgh raced out to a 3-0 lead in the first period despite resting most of its regular players, including Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, with the playoffs looming this weekend.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
15 Apr. 2026
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Vice Mayor Ben Sorensen, unnerved by talk of statewide property tax reform and a looming multiyear budget deficit, is now having second thoughts about committing all that money to a futuristic City Hall.—
Susannah Bryan,
Sun Sentinel,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Earle’s got a new reality show brewing with Netflix, so Cooper could make an appearance to chitchat.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
13 Apr. 2026
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Acclimating our senses was rooftop breakfast served by a gracious staff who introduced us to Armenian coffee — finely ground into a powder and brewed in a jazzve pot.—
Marlise Kast-Myers,
Boston Herald,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impend. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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