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
Beasley has an offensive skillset that portends well on most teams.
—
Mat Issa, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Mpox researchers and doctors say the lackluster global response portends poorly for mpox's future potential as well as other disease threats.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 14 Aug. 2025
And the future portends even more dealmaking.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
If the July unemployment report portends what’s to come, the picture is bound to get gloomier.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2025
Mat Issa, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
Mpox researchers and doctors say the lackluster global response portends poorly for mpox's future potential as well as other disease threats.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 14 Aug. 2025
And the future portends even more dealmaking.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
If the July unemployment report portends what’s to come, the picture is bound to get gloomier.
—Jeff Cox, CNBC, 4 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portends
Verb
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Casanova predicts more people will be embracing their natural grays as the weather cools.—
Audrey Noble,
Vogue,
5 Sep. 2025
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Hall predicts that if the case goes to trial, Spencer will take the stand in his own defense.—
Faith Karimi,
CNN Money,
4 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The ceremony promises one show-stopping moment after another, with Lady Gaga nominated for a whopping 12 trophies.—
Jackie Fields,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
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Director Fujii Michihito, working alongside Okada, has crafted what promises to be a visual spectacle, particularly evident in the large-scale melee sequence at Tenryuji Temple.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Hiring here usually bodes well for housing.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
7 Sep. 2025
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But the market performance bodes well for the NFL.—
Eric Jackson,
Sportico.com,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But the city has also faced a recent string of controversies under her leadership and calls for greater transparency.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Sep. 2025
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Coel, the boundary-pushing revelation from I May Destroy You, is a perfect foil, hiding Lori’s feelings behind her deadpan delivery, unblinking sphinx-like stare and wary body language but poised to shoot barbs when the moment calls for them.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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For most, such latitude foretells a long stretch to go.—
Noah Barsky,
Forbes.com,
20 Aug. 2025
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No scripture foretells GPUs, gradient descent, or multimodal transformers.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portends. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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