PORTENDS Synonyms: 33 Similar and Opposite Words

portends

verb

present tense third-person singular of portend

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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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of portends For millions of individuals and businesses who rely on professional preparers, the answer portends a frightening prospect if the return preparer is dishonest. — Virginia La Torre Jeker, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 This seemingly portends a trade somewhere down the line, but for now, the Thunder capitalized on a talent tier drop-off ahead of the next group of players. — John Hollinger, New York Times, 24 June 2026 This is a delicate and dicey subject to even bring up, since the industry right now is in the grip of multiple perceptions and anxieties about what AI portends for the future of entertainment. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 18 June 2026 Regardless, Canadian space boosters say the launch portends more good things to come from a country eager to develop its own orbital lift capability. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 12 June 2026 Brian now realizes that the pilot’s loss of sphincter control portends not a momentary breakdown of bodily integrity but death. — Literary Hub, 4 May 2026 As with the Dred Scott decision that preceded the Civil War, such a blatantly undemocratic move portends some great cataclysm. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 4 May 2026 Anything below 50% favorability portends political trouble; right now Trump’s positive standing in polls hovers around a dismal 40%. — Mark Barabak, Mercury News, 1 May 2026 Democrats face an optimistic midterm outlook based on historical patterns showing the party out of power gains substantial House seats and Trump’s approval rating hovering around 40%, well below the 50% threshold that portends political trouble for a president’s party. — Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for portends

Verb

The history of tech transformation predicts short-term pain (job destruction) and long-term gain (job creation).

— Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 14 July 2026
In operation, the system first predicts future visual states from current observations and language instructions.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 13 July 2026

Definition of predicts

Verb

On top of the appropriately hirsute performer assuming the role of beefy antihero Kratos, the adaptation promises a god-tier ensemble cast, with the likes of Lost’s Sonya Walger and Homeland’s Mandy Patinkin joining the fray.

— Matt Cabral, Entertainment Weekly, 15 July 2026
The deal promises to give Imax a small piece of the most technologically aggressive car market in the world.

— Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026

Definition of promises

Verb

That bodes extremely well for plane spotting out in broad daylight this summer.

— Florence Ion, PC Magazine, 27 June 2026
The Obama Presidential Center opening June 18 also bodes well for tourism, both in burnishing the city’s image and creating a new attraction to draw domestic and international visitors to Chicago, Reynolds said.

— Robert Channick, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2026

Definition of bodes

Verb

Cristobal calls change ‘a positive step’ This new process would have benefited Miami greatly last year when determining who would make the conference championship.

— Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
These 126 spacecraft will be part of a larger LEO network that the SDA calls the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture.

— Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 July 2026

Definition of calls

Verb

Inside a hotel ballroom about three miles north of the ballpark, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred and MLBPA interim director Bruce Meyer offered conflicting visions for the future of the sport, a disagreement that foretells a labor stoppage this winter.

— Andy McCullough, New York Times, 15 July 2026
Each label contains its own taxonomies of taste and cultural prestige, targeting the demographics most drawn to the status markers the badge foretells.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 8 July 2026

Definition of foretells

Verb

Then Anna fails Room 7 and winds up back in Room 8, where Becca swaps the players’ table positions, so Ify reads the win condition as well and leaves.

— Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 14 July 2026
Sit still for hours, and blood flow to your brain dips slightly, but your brain notices the shortfall of oxygen and reads it as tiredness.

— Angela Haupt, Time, 14 July 2026

Definition of reads

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“Portends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portends. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of portends

verb

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