1
as in forerunner
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
a red sky in the morning can be a portent of a coming storm
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in miracle
something extraordinary or surprising
a scout was sent to have a look at this teenage pitcher who was supposed to be the latest portent of the baseball world
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of portent
This would turn out to be a portent of what was to come.
—
Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025
Her appearance at the funeral had only been a portent of her tragic death.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 21 July 2025
The spooky portent of the Paul Simon song slipped away as, for a few minutes, just about everyone in the crowd had to all be wondering whether, with access to spirit-rousing music even in dystopian times, we might still be forever blessed after all.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 21 June 2025
Appearances aren’t deceptive; the portents are grim.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for portent
Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2025
Her appearance at the funeral had only been a portent of her tragic death.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 21 July 2025
The spooky portent of the Paul Simon song slipped away as, for a few minutes, just about everyone in the crowd had to all be wondering whether, with access to spirit-rousing music even in dystopian times, we might still be forever blessed after all.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 21 June 2025
Appearances aren’t deceptive; the portents are grim.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for portent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portent
Noun
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The reactor is the forerunner to the Aalo Pod, a 50-megawatt modular power plant designed specifically for data centers.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Aug. 2025
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Bittler has been with Paramount (and its forerunner Viacom) for some 25 years, most recently as executive vp communications for the company’s kids and family division, including Nickelodeon, Awesomeness and kids and family series at Paramount+.—
Rick Porter,
HollywoodReporter,
26 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Absent a miracle that changes Grassley’s position on maintaining the blue slip tradition, Shipley said, the administration may have to return to the more conventional path of compromise.—
Kaelan Deese,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Sep. 2025
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Alma’s ‘miracle’ Alma Barraza’s quest has often put her own life at risk.—
Ray Long,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Bad omen when your season starts with a spitting ejection in first minute of first game?—
Greg Cote
September 7,
Miami Herald,
7 Sep. 2025
-
In the final novel of the series, The Last Battle, the destruction of trees and dryads in Lantern Waste, a place tied to the creation of Narnia itself, is one of many portentous omens signalling the end of the world.—
Ellen Walker,
JSTOR Daily,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The phenomena tend to form on the Great Lakes from August to October, the National Weather Service said.—
Jenna Prestininzi,
Freep.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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UAPx, a Florida nonprofit, has developed a suite of sensors specifically for analyzing odd aerial phenomena.—
Matthew Hutson,
New Yorker,
7 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Events once considered rare—like the 2003 Northeast blackout that hit 50 million people—are now seen as precursors of larger disruptions.—
Robert Rapier,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
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Armani’s foray into the food and beverage world in 1998 served as a precursor to his interior design endeavors but greatly established his design vision.—
Sofia Celeste,
Footwear News,
4 Sep. 2025
Noun
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However, Gabriel also gets to experience the wonders of being mortal, like eating burgers and chicken tenders for the first time.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
7 Sep. 2025
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Reconnecting with the beauty, awe and wonders of life within and around us informs our senses, perceptions, thoughts and actions as well as improving our well-being.—
Jessica DuLong,
CNN Money,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
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By an almost impossible conceptual leap, the distant myth of the poem becomes a foreshadowing and a prophecy of events that were, from Virgil’s own historical vantage point, already in the past.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Sep. 2025
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Director Michael Chaves, in a much more successful and affecting fashion than his previous outputs for the franchise, builds a tightly knotted tension through effective foreshadowing and with several complex Rube Goldberg machines.—
Gregory Nussen,
Deadline,
3 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Hot, young, rapidly evolving stars cement Pismis 24’s status as an astronomical marvel.—
Ethan Siegel,
Big Think,
8 Sep. 2025
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Tuck into a few of the downy bao buns—the beef with pickled daikon, mayo, chili and coriander is a marvel, but don’t miss the bao with hoisin duck, pickled daikon, ginger, spring onions and cucumber—the salty crunch contrast with the steamed bun is delish.—
Katie Kelly Bell,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portent. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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