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
-
And while highs of 91 Friday, Saturday and Sunday are barely relief, the feels-like max will stay under the triple digits at 98.—
Howard Cohen,
Miami Herald,
18 June 2026
-
The feels-like temps will soar into the triple digits, likely peaking in the mid to upper 100s across much of Miami-Dade and Broward counties.—
Nic Merianos,
CBS News,
17 June 2026
Noun
-
The heralds operate like independent contractors, with their own caseloads.—
Helen Lewis,
The Atlantic,
9 June 2026
-
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
Verb
-
If intelligence compounds as Nadella predicts, this time there will be a real first-mover advantage that didn’t exist in the internet era.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
16 June 2026
-
Chasing atomic limits To overcome that challenge, the KAIST team relied on first-principles calculations, a computational approach that predicts material behavior using the laws of physics rather than experimental data.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 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
-
Looking for Friday’s Strands hints, spangram and answers?—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
14 June 2026
-
Talk of SpaceX, which billionaire Elon Musk founded in 2002 to find a way to Mars, going public had been rampant since late 2025, when the first hints arose of its possibility.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
-
Fans debated score predictions, discussed players and shared hopes that Algeria could upset the defending world champions.—
J.M. Banks
June 15,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
-
The good news is that if the Strait of Hormuz remains open and inventory drawdowns slow, then markets should avoid some of the dire predictions that were feared earlier, Hussain said.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
But there is reason for hope, because the season-one finale of Widow’s Bay is like a beacon in the dark, and all the signs and portents are lining up.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
17 June 2026
-
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
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 20 Jun. 2026.
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