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
This dynamic portends a tragic end for Iran.
—
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
Potentially losing support from a large chunk of voters within the city of Los Angeles, who many say are more likely to vote for tax increases then voters in the county as a whole, could portend a negative outcome for the measure, pollsters and others pundits say.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
These concerns could portend legal challenges if Kupper’s bill is signed into law.
—Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 1 Apr. 2026
In other words, current prices still do not reflect the extent of shortages a prolonged conflict portends.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portend
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
Potentially losing support from a large chunk of voters within the city of Los Angeles, who many say are more likely to vote for tax increases then voters in the county as a whole, could portend a negative outcome for the measure, pollsters and others pundits say.
—Steve Scauzillo, Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
These concerns could portend legal challenges if Kupper’s bill is signed into law.
—Miguel Torres, AZCentral.com, 1 Apr. 2026
In other words, current prices still do not reflect the extent of shortages a prolonged conflict portends.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portend
Verb
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These tools help predict how a candidate will handle challenges, collaborate, and fit into your team.—
Karla Vallecillo,
Hartford Courant,
11 Apr. 2026
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At these critical points, theory predicts that entanglement may spike dramatically, but models often fail to describe what actually happens.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Sunday marked only the first chapter, and an early test for a young, promising head coach.—
Doug Haller,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2026
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The 18 million acre-feet was likely an overestimation of how much water there was even a century ago, but today’s river provides even less than the total amounts promised to states in 1922.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
19 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This establishes that hyperscale AI infrastructure is now being built at utility scale, boding well for companies like Broadcom that offer both custom chips and rack-scale networking solutions.—
TipRanks.com Staff,
CNBC,
19 Apr. 2026
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This doesn't bode well for large or small-scale woodworking projects, from DIY birdhouses to picnic tables.—
Maddie Topliff,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But a lack of accountability presages failure for California’s big reform.—
Rachel Canter,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2026
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As for Cipriani, a hidden history of run-ins with power players seems to have presaged this Shell game.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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One of my neighbors called 911 and helped with the first CPR attempts.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
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Dunn wielded his influence through a think tank called the Texas Public Policy Foundation.—
Zach Helfand,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Republican candidate Clay Fuller is the favorite to win the seat vacated by former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, but an overperformance by Democrat Shawn Harris could foretell trouble for the GOP this fall in Georgia, and beyond.—
Marcus Wright,
Bloomberg,
7 Apr. 2026
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But before Othership and Akari Sauna, the 1970 film Deep End foretold this trend in a much creepier and surrealist manner.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There was no obvious precipitating event, but the encroachment of Grok seemed foreboding.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
14 Mar. 2026
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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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But Bondi’s departure does not augur a better world to come.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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This is a massive shift from late last year, when talk of an AI bubble augured capital expenditures that would come back to bite tech companies when token demand plummeted.—
Reed Albergotti,
semafor.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portend. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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