as in predicts
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 portends
Leonhard hasn’t divulged details, but adding outside linebackers coach Bobby April III portends a 3-4 base.
—
Tim Graham, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Time will tell as to what the AI Basic Act truly portends.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Emerging research suggests that the spread of sports gambling portends a huge increase in gambling addiction, which has the highest rate of suicide of any addictive behavior.
—Jasper Craven, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
In Persian culture, the owl does not suggest wisdom; rather, its presence portends catastrophe.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
His directors guild nomination portends similar recognition at the Oscars, and the film itself could wind up with as many as 10 nominations.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
And being a clever child probably still portends being a successful adult.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026
The state’s latest energy plan fails to recognize and remedy this and portends a bleak, costly energy future, not to mention more pollution and higher health care costs.
—Anshul Gupta, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Moreover, the panel's move on hepatitis B — in the face of overwhelming data that shows the birth dose is effective and safe — portends further upheaval for the nation's childhood vaccine schedule, a cornerstone of public health.
—Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025
Tim Graham, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Time will tell as to what the AI Basic Act truly portends.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Emerging research suggests that the spread of sports gambling portends a huge increase in gambling addiction, which has the highest rate of suicide of any addictive behavior.
—Jasper Craven, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
In Persian culture, the owl does not suggest wisdom; rather, its presence portends catastrophe.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
His directors guild nomination portends similar recognition at the Oscars, and the film itself could wind up with as many as 10 nominations.
—Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
And being a clever child probably still portends being a successful adult.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 9 Jan. 2026
The state’s latest energy plan fails to recognize and remedy this and portends a bleak, costly energy future, not to mention more pollution and higher health care costs.
—Anshul Gupta, New York Daily News, 7 Jan. 2026
Moreover, the panel's move on hepatitis B — in the face of overwhelming data that shows the birth dose is effective and safe — portends further upheaval for the nation's childhood vaccine schedule, a cornerstone of public health.
—Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portends
Verb
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Cherny predicts that many other companies and coders will have Claude write all of their code by the end of this year, too.—
Jacqueline Munis,
Fortune,
24 Feb. 2026
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Continue reading … -- POLITICS STALEMATE STAKES — GOP senator predicts Democrats will cave on shutdown when flights get canceled.—
,
FOXNews.com,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The 2026 edition, which opens March 8, promises to uphold that tradition.—
Julie Belcove,
Robb Report,
28 Feb. 2026
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What if Scream 7 were about the way nostalgia has become a corrosive force in entertainment, where familiar IP wins out over original ideas, and in the country at large, where fascism promises a return to a past ideal that never existed?—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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That bodes well for both Inside America’s Next Top Model and the potential Reality Check strand.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
24 Feb. 2026
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The timing of these revelations bodes well for framing the statewide political campaign to pass the Local Taxpayer Protection Act.—
Jon Coupal,
Oc Register,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Fatigue that presages a heart attack doesn’t subside with rest and is disruptive to daily activities.—
Nadine Avola,
Flow Space,
19 Feb. 2026
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The company is facing similar litigation in Nevada — and while the injunction is only temporary, and focuses on sports betting, the legal action presages the broader efforts by states to protect the lucrative revenue gambling brings in.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Your 11th House of Connected Communities calls for review as cerebral Mercury goes retrograde, so group efforts may stall around demands for clearer roles.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
26 Feb. 2026
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The address is prescribed by the Constitution and calls for the president to apprise Congress about the state of the union.—
Seema Mehta,
Los Angeles Times,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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The evidence foretells what’s in store for the future.—
Keiji Horikawa,
The Conversation,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Every day augurs some new threat—to democracy, to decency.—
Maya Singer,
Vogue,
1 Feb. 2026
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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
Verb
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From the outside, the entry is lined with greenery and reads more like a private residence than a traditional boutique hotel, lending the space a softer, house-like aesthetic from the start.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Feb. 2026
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His daughter reads until her early bedtime.—
Cheryl Hall,
Dallas Morning News,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portends. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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