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
This dynamic portends a tragic end for Iran.
—
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
In other words, current prices still do not reflect the extent of shortages a prolonged conflict portends.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2026
The cacophony of drills and construction trucks outside Porte de Clichy Station portends a major public transit expansion, intended to benefit not just the city of Paris but the suburbs around it.
—Marie Patino, Bloomberg, 20 Mar. 2026
Iran’s stockpiling of missiles portends wars of attrition, like the current one, in which each side tries to wear the other down.
—Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
The county’s silence on this issue portends an ominous outcome for west Pompano, Deerfield Beach and Coconut Creek.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2026
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
Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
In other words, current prices still do not reflect the extent of shortages a prolonged conflict portends.
—Rob Wile, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2026
The cacophony of drills and construction trucks outside Porte de Clichy Station portends a major public transit expansion, intended to benefit not just the city of Paris but the suburbs around it.
—Marie Patino, Bloomberg, 20 Mar. 2026
Iran’s stockpiling of missiles portends wars of attrition, like the current one, in which each side tries to wear the other down.
—Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
The county’s silence on this issue portends an ominous outcome for west Pompano, Deerfield Beach and Coconut Creek.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portends
Verb
-
Despite this, McClain predicts that gas prices could drop 5 to 10 cents by the middle of next week.—
Bri Buckley,
CBS News,
8 Apr. 2026
-
AlphaFold, which predicts three-dimensional, bioactive forms of a protein, has millions of sequences and a couple of hundred thousand structures.—
Benjamin P. Brown,
The Conversation,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The handlebar attaches to the scale with a retractable thermoplastic polyurethane cord and features a USB-C port on top for charging the scale's 1,000 mAh battery, which promises five months of power between charges.—
Andrew Gebhart,
PC Magazine,
5 Apr. 2026
-
While the land is not part of the Lake Nona development, Tavistock does plan to develop acreage surrounding the warehouse park for its future Sunbridge plan, which promises to bring thousands of homes and apartments, hotel, office and retail space.—
Ryan Gillespie,
The Orlando Sentinel,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Which bodes well for his team, Hilinski said, with district play starting next week.—
Chris Hays,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The way these teams have come together also bodes well for the state of college basketball.—
Sabreena Merchant,
New York Times,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
An index of 50 is balanced and presages neither economic expansion nor contraction.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
5 Apr. 2026
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Polls show voters favor Democrats by a wide margin and Trump’s approval is hovering around 40%, an abysmal level that usually presages major losses for the sitting president’s party.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Credit card bills, collection agency calls, gambling issues.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Destiny calls loudly as passionate Mars charges into your 9th House of Distance, urging you to attempt things that are literally or metaphorically far from your comfort zone.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
From the Russian perspective, all of this lines up with Europe’s history and foretells its destiny.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2026
-
The evidence foretells what’s in store for the future.—
Keiji Horikawa,
The Conversation,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The broader picture augurs well for the Israeli home front.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
-
And that really augurs the potential for severe and prolonged enduring instability in this region.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
These Leaf-Roller Moths Defied the Odds The backstory of these moths reads like an epic migration tale.—
Hanna Wickes,
Miami Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Seth Nutt reads with his daughter and her friend.—
Aubrey Violeta Gelpieryn,
CBS News,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portends. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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