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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Recent Examples of portend
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
Already, some industry observers are sweating at what that might portend, given that the WGA can safely be called the most aggressive union of the three.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 16 Jan. 2026
In Persian culture, the owl does not suggest wisdom; rather, its presence portends catastrophe.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
That’s significant to fans and industry officials because talk of a cap — which would bring an upper limit to individual player salaries and a bevy of other changes — portends a nasty labor fight.
—Evan Drellich, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portend
Jasper Craven, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
Already, some industry observers are sweating at what that might portend, given that the WGA can safely be called the most aggressive union of the three.
—Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 16 Jan. 2026
In Persian culture, the owl does not suggest wisdom; rather, its presence portends catastrophe.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
That’s significant to fans and industry officials because talk of a cap — which would bring an upper limit to individual player salaries and a bevy of other changes — portends a nasty labor fight.
—Evan Drellich, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portend
Verb
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Longitudinal studies across diverse populations will be needed to assess whether shifts in the oral microbiome can predict future weight gain, insulin resistance, or cardiometabolic decline, and perhaps most excitingly, whether modifying one's oral ecosystem alters systemic metabolic markers.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
14 Feb. 2026
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Huntington predicted that a new conflict would rage after the demise of Communism.—
Josef Joffe,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Semi-solid batteries promise reliable EVs below –4°F Beyond industrial machinery, the liquid-solid battery architecture has clear implications for electric vehicles operating in cold climates.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Feb. 2026
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During his confirmation hearing Banks promised transparency on the WTC files.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The viewership news certainly bodes well for the show, which sources said at the time it was announced could serve as a backdoor pilot for a new full run of the beloved series.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
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Lance Oedekerk Upland With the return of Austin Reaves, the Lakers are back to their three scoring leaders, who can’t play defense, which doesn’t bode well for the Lakers’ playoff chances.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Yet the demands of modernity produced some humane outcomes that also presaged the future.—
Drew Gilpin Faust,
The Atlantic,
8 Feb. 2026
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Economist Claudia Sahm is an expert (if not the expert) on the conditions that presage a recession and how policymakers should react as a result.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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For example, Blue Origin and Sierra Space are working together on an outpost called Orbital Reef, and a consortium including NanoRacks and Voyager Space are developing one named Starlab.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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The seven-time All-Star made his first seven shots with five 3-pointers amid raucous cheers from the extra-steep supporters’ section called The Wall behind one basket at this futuristic 18-month-old arena.—
Greg Beacham,
Twin Cities,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Leading up to the release of the financial results, other figures foretold the company’s weak performance.—
Andrea Guzmán,
Austin American Statesman,
29 Jan. 2026
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If so, what does that foretell about the nature of the therapy that is about to get underway?—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 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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Every day augurs some new threat—to democracy, to decency.—
Maya Singer,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2026
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This wreckage could only augur doom.—
Rachel Wetzler,
Artforum,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portend. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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