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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of presages
Shawn Tully, Fortune, 1 Nov. 2025
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
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
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
-
Miraflores, meanwhile, is also chock-a-block with great shopping and restaurants, though the rush-hour honking gets louder, and various corners have distinctly different feels, from the very commercial to the quaint and old-school.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 Feb. 2026
-
In some ways, that Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is this vacuous and one-dimensional feels like progress.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The movie heralds from FilmNation Entertainment’s production label Infrared, Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions, and Assemble Media.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
18 Feb. 2026
-
New studies, however, clearly show that medical marijuana is not nearly as effective as the pro-marijuana lobby heralds.—
Mike Gimbel,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Finally, Santos predicts ground covers will have a moment in 2026 as gardeners rethink lawns and seek lower-maintenance alternatives.—
Marisa Suzanne Martin,
The Spruce,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Bettenhausen predicts that 2026 will be a contraction year for homebuilder revenues, with unit declines also impacting some names.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
They have not been subjected to retaliation, but there have been a lot of hints of it.—
Scott Feinberg,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Mar. 2026
-
The 20-year-old’s versatility evokes hints of Kadarius Toney and Percy Havin.—
Edgar Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Experts have a long history of torturing us with predictions about how technology will wipe us out, first our jobs and then just getting rid of us altogether because humans are a bother.—
Peter Cappelli,
Fortune,
28 Feb. 2026
-
The novel tool should enable accurate predictions of reactor performance across various designs.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The data in the new study validates these premonitions.—
Alex Hutchinson,
Outside,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Most strikingly, some are from the near future, and have an uncanny resemblance to premonitions.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
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
-
Carol’s favorite, Bella Donna, does not carry the same dark portents.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
12 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
But many Floridians — particularly those who have moved here since 1998 and have no prior experience with wildfires on a massive scale — don’t see these signs and don’t comprehend the omens.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
22 Feb. 2026
-
The omens of Sandro Tonali scoring twice in the same game of a knockout competition for Newcastle United are certainly encouraging.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Presages.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/presages. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
