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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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portending
Verb
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The Sahm Rule has had an unblemished historical record of predicting recessions.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025 -
However, the settlement is significantly higher than some legal experts were predicting.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But even without European football, and after a decade in which Old Trafford has at times resembled a graveyard for promising careers, the lure of Manchester United — in terms of glamour, prestige and finance — remains powerful.—
Oliver Kay,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
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In a corner Reluctance to cut welfare spending and raise taxes, while promising big-ticket spending on the NHS, defense, infrastructure and education, means that Labour has boxed itself into a corner, Peel Hunt's Chief Economist Kallum Pickering told CNBC.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Tesla's board has urged shareholders to vote against a proposal calling for a political neutrality policy, which would have expanded board oversight of Musk's political activities.—
Akash Sriram,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
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Her followers, and those who had followed the trending hashtag #SaveMarinaJoyce, ended up calling the Metropolitan Police to rescue her.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Sep. 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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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
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Are changes in global commerce boding a positive, negative or neutral outcome for businesses, and what actions are organizations taking in response to these shifts?—
SJ Studio,
Sourcing Journal,
28 Aug. 2025
Verb
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So sales drop when consumers are feeling stretched (perhaps foretelling a recession) and pick up as the economy is recovering.—
Brandon Kochkodin,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Nolan also praised Keighley for alerting filmmakers and major studios to the existential threat faced by the traditional film medium in the face of digital production.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Sep. 2025
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Burton, who plays Jason Morgan on General Hospital, had previously posted a warning on social media to his followers, alerting them to the dangers of similar scams.—
Liam Quinn,
People.com,
29 Aug. 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
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Cite this Entry
“Portending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portending. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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