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.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of portend
The pairing was not something that would portend future commitment.
—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
24 June 2026
This is a delicate and dicey subject to even bring up, since the industry right now is in the grip of multiple perceptions and anxieties about what AI portends for the future of entertainment.
—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
18 June 2026
Regardless, Canadian space boosters say the launch portends more good things to come from a country eager to develop its own orbital lift capability.
—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
12 June 2026
The hockey finals knotted at 2-2 also portend a great, full series as Carolina and Vegas (unexpectedly, for me) draw the biggest Stanley Cup TV ratings in at least 10 years.
—
Greg Cote
june 10,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for portend
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
24 June 2026
This is a delicate and dicey subject to even bring up, since the industry right now is in the grip of multiple perceptions and anxieties about what AI portends for the future of entertainment.
—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
18 June 2026
Regardless, Canadian space boosters say the launch portends more good things to come from a country eager to develop its own orbital lift capability.
—
Eric Berger,
ArsTechnica,
12 June 2026
The hockey finals knotted at 2-2 also portend a great, full series as Carolina and Vegas (unexpectedly, for me) draw the biggest Stanley Cup TV ratings in at least 10 years.
—
Greg Cote
june 10,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for portend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portend
Verb
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Analyst Jack Lu and his team at the bank predict sodium-ion batteries will account for 20% of total battery deployment market share by 2030 and 37% in 2035.
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In some cases, like in Elk River, local utility companies are predicting positive impacts on utility rates thanks to data centers paying larger bills for services.
Verb
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At a moment when technology companies were promising to bring people closer together, David Fincher’s acerbic drama about the founding of Facebook had a darker theory about why people wanted to connect in the first place.
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Someone may need clarification around timing, support, or what was actually promised.
Verb
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This did not bode well with the Love Island USA fanbase and Miller and Pessoa took to social media to defend their stance.
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That bodes extremely well for plane spotting out in broad daylight this summer.
Verb
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Yet the book is also about the disappearance of time and places, with summer’s end presaging more permanent losses.
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Years of turmoil presaged the takeover.
Verb
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Artists, tour guides and retirees wield flamingo cutouts, children’s art and bullhorns to protest against corruption, opaque land deals and environmental damage, increasingly calling for Prime Minister Edi Rama to step down.
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Anyone who sees Jett or has information about his whereabouts should call 911.
Verb
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Primary victories for leftist candidates endorsed by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani foretell bigger battles for a party trying to win back power nationally.
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But the drama here feels too diagrammatic, foretelling a tragic fate from the first scene onward as everyone parties down like their lives depend on it.
Verb
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There was no obvious precipitating event, but the encroachment of Grok seemed foreboding.
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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.
Verb
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In the film’s ferocious climax, Jim is shot but escapes with Selena and Hannah, and the story closes (28 days later) back in the countryside as a jet flies over and augurs their rescue.
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This augurs poorly for yen bulls.
Cite this Entry
“Portend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portend. Accessed 30 Jun. 2026.
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