as in predicting
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 portending
The bad omens came early at this year’s Burning Man — the infamously wild, weeklong celebration of art, music, and unrestrained self-expression held at the end of every summer in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert — portending a particularly extra-ordinary burn.
—
Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025
Denver Nicks, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portending
Verb
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The findings indicate that the brand of vehicle is one of the most important factors in predicting how well a PHEV battery will hold up over time.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
10 Nov. 2025
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Intense snowfall has begun as 13 states face storm warnings from the National Weather Service (NWS), predicting severe wind, ice, and up to 15 inches of snow.—
Sirena Bergman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Both candidates have bemoaned the state's high cost of living and surging energy prices, with Ciattarelli vowing to lower New Jersey's high property taxes and Sherrill promising to freeze electricity bills.—
Joe Hernandez,
NPR,
5 Nov. 2025
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Speaking to supporters gathered at Brooklyn Paramount theater, Mamdani celebrated the success of his ambitious, unapologetic campaign, promising a government not just of hope and idealism but one that will deliver both compassion and competence.—
TIME Video,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Local officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony this morning at Philadelphia’s Calder Gardens, the new sanctuary honoring pathbreaking sculptor Alexander Calder, presaging its opening to the public, which is set for September 21.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
15 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Even calling it a magazine is a conscious way of trying to distinguish the work producers are putting months and months of effort into recording and writing from what podcasting has become.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
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The negative reviews — some going as far as calling All’s Fair the worst show ever with the worst acting — triggered a new media cycle of stories.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Despite the seemingly sweet resolution to their storyline (and an ostensibly upbeat last line of dialogue), there’s a strange undercurrent to the Nagisa and Natsuo segment that suggests foreboding as much as potential happiness — a mysterious tension befitting the creator that Miyake is adapting.—
Josh Slater-Williams,
IndieWire,
17 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Now, the woman seems to be replete with suggestions, boding well for yet another January birthday to keep the holiday spirit going.—
Maria Morava,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Sep. 2025
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This astronomical use of explosives will require an increasing amount of TNT as the war continues, boding poorly for the global supply chain for the foreseeable future.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Those are the conclusions of two recent reports about spiraling utility bills, one looking at the past, the other foretelling the future.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
18 Oct. 2025
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Miami had been favored by 13 1/2 points but that whittled to 10 1/2 by kickoff, perhaps foretelling the close game as late gambling money flooded to the Cardinals.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Millar, however, noted that a gauge of wholesale costs rose at the fastest pace in more than three years, auguring a further rise in consumer prices.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portending. Accessed 19 Nov. 2025.
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