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
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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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Recent Examples of portent
That seemed a portent of more to come as the June primary inches ever closer.
—
Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
That seemed a portent of more to come as the June primary inches ever closer.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026
By the end of 1857, no one knew the crack-up of the Union was coming in three years, or that the nation would be in a civil war in four, but the portents were bleak.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
If that is the case, the Ring Nebula could be a portent of what awaits Earth in around 5 billion years when the sun runs out of fuel for nuclear fusion and puffs out to become a red giant.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portent
Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
That seemed a portent of more to come as the June primary inches ever closer.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026
By the end of 1857, no one knew the crack-up of the Union was coming in three years, or that the nation would be in a civil war in four, but the portents were bleak.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
If that is the case, the Ring Nebula could be a portent of what awaits Earth in around 5 billion years when the sun runs out of fuel for nuclear fusion and puffs out to become a red giant.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portent
Noun
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Even the Hammurabi Code, a set of laws created by the sixth Babylonian king in approximately 1760 bce, established forerunners of today’s interest rate and minimum wage laws.—
Chris Roush,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 Apr. 2026
-
Hungary’s incoming premier today showed investors how austere he is compared to his forerunner.—
Jonathan Tirone,
Bloomberg,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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To encompass the story, about a miracle from 847, when Pope Leo IV stopped a fire with a blessing, Raphael brings you into the fresco through the unshod feet of a woman in agony and leaves you near the very back, with a tiny and serene Leo IV.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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And yet, even in the depths of loss, Kim came to see the voyage itself as a miracle – proof that survival could lead to something more.—
Mike Valerio,
CNN Money,
19 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Energy Secretary Chris Wright warned yesterday that gas prices could stay above $3 per gallon until next year, a bad omen for consumers already feeling the pinch of higher costs.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Perhaps someday the sound of horseshoes to pavement will serve as some kind of omen to the city’s future residents.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Richard Gadd’s Baby Reindeer was an inescapable phenomenon, a Russian-doll-like unfurling of narrative and character that captured how trauma trails us through all phases of our lives.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
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Two years later, the midnight-movie adaptation The Rocky Horror Picture Show transformed it into a cultural phenomenon, fueled by raucous responses, scant costumes and a sense of communal anarchy.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The micro-drama, or duanju, emerged around 2018, and became popular on Douyin, the Chinese precursor to TikTok.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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Then a guy named Jerry Harvey started Z Channel, the legendary precursor to HBO.—
Donald Liebenson,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Stretching across Washington, Oregon and Idaho, the region is packed with natural wonders and cultural attractions that reward every type of traveler.—
Lauren Schuster,
Kansas City Star,
23 Apr. 2026
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No wonder wise chickens withdraw to the coop without prompting at cockshut.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His comments contained a bit of foreshadowing.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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Videos using the format typically present a normal or relatable situation, followed by the implication that something will go wrong — mirroring the foreshadowing associated with the film scene.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Festival season is upon us, with four long-running events returning this weekend to Cupertino, San Jose and Half Moon Bay for fans of culture, music and mechanical marvels.—
Linda Zavoral,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
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The Emperor’s battle arena, for example, is a marvel of moody set design, its barbarity brought to life by the throngs of people crowding to watch the action from atop its grated roof.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portent. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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