as in predicted
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 portended
Residents near Hereford House who spied the visitors that morning may have wondered what their arrival portended for the town.
—
Longreads, 5 Mar. 2026
For the first four laps of the final race in the men’s speedskating team pursuit, with Lehman in the middle of a trio of Americans who arrived in Milan with the solitary goal of winning gold, Team USA held a growing lead that portended the sort of finish Lehman and his teammates envisioned.
—Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
That loss portended woe for Winnipeg, beginning its freefall.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
And Smith was certain that these two short plays portended a great future for the twenty-year-old in the dramatic arts.
—Literary Hub, 12 Dec. 2025
Martin County’s anti-development history portended a quick and certain rejection by the county commission.
—Jeffrey Steele, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Longreads, 5 Mar. 2026
For the first four laps of the final race in the men’s speedskating team pursuit, with Lehman in the middle of a trio of Americans who arrived in Milan with the solitary goal of winning gold, Team USA held a growing lead that portended the sort of finish Lehman and his teammates envisioned.
—Andrew Carter, Chicago Tribune, 17 Feb. 2026
That loss portended woe for Winnipeg, beginning its freefall.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 8 Jan. 2026
And Smith was certain that these two short plays portended a great future for the twenty-year-old in the dramatic arts.
—Literary Hub, 12 Dec. 2025
Martin County’s anti-development history portended a quick and certain rejection by the county commission.
—Jeffrey Steele, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portended
Verb
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One study that Edens was involved in was initiated by the Texas Defender Service and looked at whether experts accurately predicted future violence by defendants.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Apr. 2026
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However, while a potentially strong El Niño is predicted to develop by the end of the summer to early fall, there is not one present right now.—
Andrew Freedman,
CNN Money,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This upcoming edition was already the buzziest in years since usually secretive Apple has publicly promised to showcase anticipated AI advances.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
21 Apr. 2026
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Yes, parents and athletes get trapped in this vicious cycle being promised that college coaches will be in attendance (HUGE LIE).—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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That boded well for a 2008 conversation at Seiller's home.—
Amanda Hancock,
Louisville Courier Journal,
6 Mar. 2026
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Last year’s first-round pick, defensive tackle Kenneth Grant and second-round pick, guard Jonah Savaiinaea, along with a slew of late-round finds, can get a full offseason of development, which boded well for Paul going into his second season.—
David Furones,
Sun Sentinel,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
He was found lying unconscious near the elevator, at which time Andrew called 911.—
Alex Gurley,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
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After Hawks center Tony Bradley was called for an offensive foul for setting a hard screen on Alvarado, the veteran McCollum got into it with the scrappy Knicks guard, jawing face-to-face in a moment that underscored the growing chippiness in the series.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
-
Those events presaged the 2026 Iran war, in which Israel and the United States launched a large-scale operation against Iran’s military infrastructure and senior leadership.—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The origin of its logo foretold the company's future role in creating many recognizable brands.—
Alexander Coolidge,
USA Today,
15 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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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
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That may sound like a funny thing to say, in 2025, or in any year since the legendary rock singer-songwriter died in 2003, given a perennial underdog status that never augured for anything that would be likely to be called a posthumous groundswell, per se.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In his autobiography, Wright discusses how his mother prophesied his future as an architect, decorating his nursery with buildings to encourage this development.—
Carrie Hojnicki,
Architectural Digest,
20 Feb. 2026
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People were told that artificial intelligence was the final asteroid in the extinction event prophesied by Trevor Horn, and further told that generative models and algorithmic composition would democratize creation until value ceased to exist.—
William Jones,
Miami Herald,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portended.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portended. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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