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
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
Rams general manager Les Snead sent two first-round picks, two second-round picks and two third-round picks to the Tennessee Titans, portending a swing-for-the-fences mentality in trades that would lead to the Rams going seven years without making another first-round pick.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Neves Valente also appears to portend his own manner of death.
—Michelle Krupa, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portend
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
Rams general manager Les Snead sent two first-round picks, two second-round picks and two third-round picks to the Tennessee Titans, portending a swing-for-the-fences mentality in trades that would lead to the Rams going seven years without making another first-round pick.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
Neves Valente also appears to portend his own manner of death.
—Michelle Krupa, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portend
Verb
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The increasing demand could raise costs for residential ratepayers by 8% a 2025 study conducted by Carnegie Mellon University predicted.—
Krista Kafer,
Denver Post,
25 Jan. 2026
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The space community predicts paths of reentering space debris based on measurements from a global network of radars and optical telescopes.—
Tereza Pultarova,
Space.com,
24 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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After all, besties Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone are both nominated in separate categories this year, which also bodes well for red-carpet antics and fashion moments alike.—
Glamour,
Glamour,
11 Jan. 2026
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Not only do the four statues bode well for the film’s future, but the room buzzed with good will for Anderson, who didn’t try to hide his glee.—
Alli Rosenbloom,
CNN Money,
11 Jan. 2026
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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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
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From the Russian perspective, all of this lines up with Europe’s history and foretells its destiny.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
21 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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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 1 Feb. 2026.
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