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 season ends on a cliffhanger, a choice that’s both frustrating but at least portends a seemingly inevitable second installment that can elaborate on what’s initially left bare bones.
—
Alison Herman, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
His past failures won’t necessarily portend future ones, particularly given his work this past year.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Such questions don't necessarily portend the outcome of the case and may merely reflect justices testing the limits and weaknesses of arguments.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 27 Sep. 2025
Google believes Gemini's ability to perform well in these kinds of advanced academic competitions portends AI's future in industries like semiconductor engineering and biotechnology.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portend
Alison Herman, Variety, 30 Sep. 2025
His past failures won’t necessarily portend future ones, particularly given his work this past year.
—Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 30 Sep. 2025
Such questions don't necessarily portend the outcome of the case and may merely reflect justices testing the limits and weaknesses of arguments.
—Taylor Seely, AZCentral.com, 27 Sep. 2025
Google believes Gemini's ability to perform well in these kinds of advanced academic competitions portends AI's future in industries like semiconductor engineering and biotechnology.
—Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portend
Verb
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Then, another cold front is predicted to return this weekend — dropping temperatures back down quite rapidly.—
Ray Padilla,
Louisville Courier Journal,
7 Jan. 2026
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The world's largest economy weathered the shocks of 2025 better than most pundits predicted.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Suamataia’s performance was promising enough that Kansas City moved Thuney to the Chicago Bears in March.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 Jan. 2026
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Leo, who has promised to keep Francis' signature policies such as welcoming gay Catholics and discussing women's ordination, echoed his predecessor's frequent criticisms of the global economic system during his remarks on Tuesday.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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This could bode well for the success of Kohl’s recent efforts to refresh its long languishing store brands.—
Phil Wahba,
Fortune,
7 Nov. 2025
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This obviously bodes incredibly well for the future of the Jets.—
Reice Shipley,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The action could presage a crackdown in Cuba, based on Rubio’s remarks at today’s press conference.—
Keir Simmons,
NBC news,
3 Jan. 2026
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In other seasons, that minor miscue would’ve presaged a bitter and deserved ending and another loss to their rivals, who were operating with their backup quarterback Malik Willis after Jordan Love left with a concussion in the second quarter.—
Jon Greenberg,
New York Times,
21 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Calò, a 46-year-old Sicilian, speaks passionately about El Popo, as Mexicans call the volcano, rattling off trivia.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Jan. 2026
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Anyone with information in the case is asked to call the CMPD Homicide Unit at 704-432-8477 (TIPS) and speak directly to a detective.—
Mark Price,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The minute that happened, Farm Bank’s collapse was foretold.—
Moisés Naím,
Literary Hub,
27 Oct. 2025
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Those are the conclusions of two recent reports about spiraling utility bills, one looking at the past, the other foretelling the future.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Nile is skeletal like Jared Kushner; his thinness is foreboding, marking a disavowal of all that is sensual.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
6 Dec. 2025
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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.—
Catherine E. Shoichet,
CNN Money,
1 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Does that augur a dystopian battlefield where robots make kill decisions on their own?—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
27 Nov. 2025
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However, the lack of US presence and the diminished interest of private capital augurs negatively for the climate agenda.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
14 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portend. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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