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
Does the growth of AI portend even tougher times for those who make their living in finance?
—
Bill Steiden, Des Moines Register, 5 Feb. 2026
Time will tell as to what the AI Basic Act truly portends.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
For West, who is a storm chaser, snow in the South would be a rare and sacred gift, one that the weekend storm was portending to produce throughout the region.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2026
Emerging research suggests that the spread of sports gambling portends a huge increase in gambling addiction, which has the highest rate of suicide of any addictive behavior.
—Jasper Craven, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portend
Bill Steiden, Des Moines Register, 5 Feb. 2026
Time will tell as to what the AI Basic Act truly portends.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
For West, who is a storm chaser, snow in the South would be a rare and sacred gift, one that the weekend storm was portending to produce throughout the region.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2026
Emerging research suggests that the spread of sports gambling portends a huge increase in gambling addiction, which has the highest rate of suicide of any addictive behavior.
—Jasper Craven, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portend
Verb
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However, the weather is not predicted to be as dangerous as previous days.—
Josh Kelly,
Oklahoman,
7 Mar. 2026
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Carlisle called Doncic the greatest player he’s ever coached and predicted Doncic will eventually win a league MVP award.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Iranian attacks against Gulf States have persisted, even after President Masoud Pezeshkian promised not to do so, according to a report from the Institute for the Study of War.—
Robert Stewart,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Mar. 2026
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Italy promised defense systems to Gulf nations.—
Robin Wright,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The peak falls near a first-quarter moon this year, which bodes well for another bright, impressive shower this year, per the Old Farmer’s Almanac.—
Joseph Erbentraut,
Better Homes & Gardens,
7 Mar. 2026
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That would bode well for a defense that wants to ensure good communication and alignment.—
Joseph Hoyt,
Dallas Morning News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Polls show voters favor Democrats by a wide margin and Trump’s approval is hovering around 40%, an abysmal level that usually presages major losses for the sitting president’s party.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
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Experts say that most likely doesn't presage military clashes, but is intended to advance a broader effort to assert a more forceful regional role backed by Kim's nuclear arsenal and ties with Moscow and Beijing.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Before experimenting with an early variation of Country Joe and the Fish alongside guitarist Barry Melton in the mid-1960s, McDonald started a small magazine called Rag Baby.—
Cerys Davies,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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Small strokes, for example, can impair blood flow to the brain and trigger what’s called vascular dementia.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The stories foretelling McGonigle’s talents are numerous.—
Cody Stavenhagen,
New York Times,
24 Feb. 2026
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At the sides, the artist juxtaposed the male Hebrew prophets and the female Greek and Roman sybils who were inspired by the gods to foretell the future.—
Virginia Raguin,
The Conversation,
19 Feb. 2026
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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And that really augurs the potential for severe and prolonged enduring instability in this region.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2026
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In my mind, the combination of immunity to AI (for the most part or, at least, for now) plus an incoming Federal Reserve chair who has a single mandate directly from the President will augur well for the group.—
Josh Brown,Sean Russo,
CNBC,
17 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portend. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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