as in to predict
formal + literary
to be a sign or warning that something usually bad or unpleasant is going to happen
The distant thunder portended a storm. If you're superstitious, a black cat portends trouble.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar 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 portend
Anything below 50% favorability portends political trouble; right now Trump’s positive standing in polls hovers around a dismal 40%.
—
Mark Barabak, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
Scott Waguespack, 32nd, argued the Monday hearing portended another difficult budget season for Johnson in the fall.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
Is Amy merely a subject to her mentally ill mother’s control issues, or does the curse portend a more awful revelation.
—Richard Newby, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026
Democrats face an optimistic midterm outlook based on historical patterns showing the party out of power gains substantial House seats and Trump’s approval rating hovering around 40%, well below the 50% threshold that portends political trouble for a president’s party.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portend
Mark Barabak, Mercury News, 1 May 2026
Scott Waguespack, 32nd, argued the Monday hearing portended another difficult budget season for Johnson in the fall.
—Jake Sheridan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026
Is Amy merely a subject to her mentally ill mother’s control issues, or does the curse portend a more awful revelation.
—Richard Newby, HollywoodReporter, 27 Apr. 2026
Democrats face an optimistic midterm outlook based on historical patterns showing the party out of power gains substantial House seats and Trump’s approval rating hovering around 40%, well below the 50% threshold that portends political trouble for a president’s party.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portend
Verb
-
Many eclipse chasers ignored South America's total solar eclipse in 2019, which was short and predicted by some to be cloudy, for a slightly longer, supposedly clearer one in 2020 in almost the same place.—
Jamie Carter,
Space.com,
10 May 2026
-
Green had predicted on his podcast once the season ended that Kerr wouldn’t return.—
Janie McCauley,
Los Angeles Times,
10 May 2026
Verb
-
The trio has also pored over California’s vintage newspapers, which are newly digitized, to find old mining companies’ reports on promising hot spots.—
Jennifer Wilson,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
An expansive pool deck beckons, and an indoor-outdoor bar space promises endless summer all year long.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
Perhaps that bodes well for the World Cup in about a month.—
Chris Perkins,
Sun Sentinel,
3 May 2026
-
The fact that Morrow — billed as a defenseman with offensive ability — didn’t get more opportunity to address this need probably doesn’t bode well for how the organization views him.—
Peter Baugh,
New York Times,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Since 2022, Russia has dropped thousands of mines across the Black Sea, presaging Iran's Hormuz blockade by using underwater explosives to deter vessels from docking in Ukraine's Black Sea ports.—
Aidan Stretch,
CBS News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Experts are already warning that there may not be enough fertilizer for the next harvest season, presaging lower yields and higher prices.—
Judd Devermont,
semafor.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The girls had called a male classmate on Kaitlyn’s watch, but another girl had done all the talking.—
Anna Wiener,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
The initiative, called the Pitt Regional Campus Tuition Pledge, will cover remaining tuition costs for students attending campuses in Bradford, Greensburg, and Johnstown, as well as those enrolled in the nursing program in Titusville, according to a press release from the university.—
Garrett Behanna,
CBS News,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
The decision also foretold a cultural and political shift, which then executive editor Lacey Donohue — now a senior vp at Hulu — recognized immediately.—
Frank DiGiacomo,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
-
The result could foretell a turn in Democrats’ fortunes, as recent gubernatorial race polls have put the two main Republican contenders, Hilton and Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, as the leaders going into the June 2 primary.—
Claire Wang,
Oc Register,
4 May 2026
Verb
-
There was no obvious precipitating event, but the encroachment of Grok seemed foreboding.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
-
The windowless hallways are narrow in the federal building that houses this immigration court, and the agents’ stocky bodies are foreboding in the tight corridors.—
Catherine E. Shoichet,
CNN Money,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
But some parishioners remain optimistic that this period of intense hardship finally augurs the end of the regime.—
Gisela Salim-Peyer,
The Atlantic,
23 Apr. 2026
-
But Bondi’s departure does not augur a better world to come.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portend. Accessed 10 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
