1
as in feels
a feeling that something bad will happen
I had a nagging presage that the results of my medical tests would not be good
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in heralds
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
the sight of the first robin is always a welcome presage of spring
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in predicts
to tell of or describe beforehand
people used to believe that a comet presaged a major event, such as the death of a king
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of presages
Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
For Swain, the rise of directs presages nothing less than a revolution in the world’s financial markets.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2025
Rachel Canter, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
An index of 50 is balanced and presages neither economic expansion nor contraction.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2026
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
Fatigue that presages a heart attack doesn’t subside with rest and is disruptive to daily activities.
—Nadine Avola, Flow Space, 19 Feb. 2026
The company is facing similar litigation in Nevada — and while the injunction is only temporary, and focuses on sports betting, the legal action presages the broader efforts by states to protect the lucrative revenue gambling brings in.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The tension between those companies and the state, which previously issued cease-and-desist letters to prediction markets, potentially presages a state-by-state conflict that plays out across the country.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 12 Nov. 2025
The question facing Federal Reserve policymakers, who will meet next week, is whether the employment numbers presages a broader slump.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
But a second round of arguments is a rare occurrence at the Supreme Court, and sometimes presages a major change by the justices.
—Mark Sherman, Arkansas Online, 30 June 2024
Noun
Sometimes, the departure of an underperforming executive or official presages improvements ahead.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
For Swain, the rise of directs presages nothing less than a revolution in the world’s financial markets.
—Shawn Tully, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2025
Verb
But a lack of accountability presages failure for California’s big reform.
—Rachel Canter, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026
An index of 50 is balanced and presages neither economic expansion nor contraction.
—Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2026
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
Fatigue that presages a heart attack doesn’t subside with rest and is disruptive to daily activities.
—Nadine Avola, Flow Space, 19 Feb. 2026
The company is facing similar litigation in Nevada — and while the injunction is only temporary, and focuses on sports betting, the legal action presages the broader efforts by states to protect the lucrative revenue gambling brings in.
—Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 22 Jan. 2026
The tension between those companies and the state, which previously issued cease-and-desist letters to prediction markets, potentially presages a state-by-state conflict that plays out across the country.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 12 Nov. 2025
The question facing Federal Reserve policymakers, who will meet next week, is whether the employment numbers presages a broader slump.
—John Cassidy, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
But a second round of arguments is a rare occurrence at the Supreme Court, and sometimes presages a major change by the justices.
—Mark Sherman, Arkansas Online, 30 June 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for presages
Noun
-
PatBO’s aesthetic feels particularly suited to those moments.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
The feels-like temperatures in South Florida on Thursday, June 11, 2026.—
Lissette Gonzalez,
CBS News,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
The reason is that the 1996 Ferrari 550 Maranello’s arrival was one of the heralds of the Ferrari of today, the one building cars with both world-beating performance and everyday usability.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
28 May 2026
-
This ground-hugging perennial heralds the arrival of spring with a regal display of fragrant blooms.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Weather Underground predicts a 24% rain chance, partly cloudy skies and the same heat as the opener.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
10 June 2026
-
Morgan Stanley predicts the space economy could surpass $1 trillion by 2040, and while industries from semiconductors to fiber-optic cables stand to benefit, medicine could see the most immediate disruption.—
Elsa Ohlen,
CNBC,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
Retroactively, they were interpreted as premonitions of the 1994 violence that saw many thousands of locals, primarily Tutsis, massacred at the hands of Hutu Génocidaires.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
26 May 2026
-
Again, people have premonitions.—
Mike Ryan,
IndieWire,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
There are very few hints in art of dogs being dirty, vicious or rabid.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 June 2026
-
Katy Perry and Justin Trudeau may have been dropping wedding hints through their fashion choices at the Tribeca Film Festival.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
9 June 2026
Noun
-
But just as machine learning models generally struggle with things outside the range of their training data, there may be situations where a model’s predictions will fail.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 June 2026
-
What are your predictions for season three?—
David Hookstead OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Noun
-
In the shadows of the long-hut, the elders muttered among themselves—of portents and crops and weather and the storage of grain.—
Maggie O’Farrell,
Literary Hub,
2 June 2026
-
Hurley says there are already portents of future protests against SpaceX’s plan, sparked by its lofting just 10,000 Starlink satellites so far into low Earth orbit.—
Kevin Holden Platt,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
While other rulers of the era relied on religious omens or superstition to guide their kingdoms, Aristotle taught the young prince that the universe could be understood through human reason and keen observation.—
Steve Muscato,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
-
Researchers created a test to screen drivers who can perceive omens before a road accident occurs.—
Wyatt Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Presages.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/presages. Accessed 12 Jun. 2026.
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