as in to foreshadow
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the first crocus traditionally prefigures the arrival of spring
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prefigure
This early embrace of mechanical rhythm prefigured what would later become a foundation of hip-hop and electronic music.
—
Jose Valentino Ruiz, The Conversation, 13 June 2025
The widescreen, 35mm format prefigured IMAX and other high-density imagery in a way that still stuns on screen.
—John Wenzel, The Denver Post, 31 Jan. 2025
It is also prefigured (another Biblical device) by Pharaoh’s order, in Exodus, to kill all male babies born to Hebrew mothers.
—Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
Its extreme hostility to the very idea of liberal governance, its skepticism of democracy, and its faith in the primacy of the wealthy over the law all prefigured the way that Trump and Elon Musk would assail key functions of government in 2025.
—Zack Beauchamp, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
See All Example Sentences for prefigure
Jose Valentino Ruiz, The Conversation, 13 June 2025
The widescreen, 35mm format prefigured IMAX and other high-density imagery in a way that still stuns on screen.
—John Wenzel, The Denver Post, 31 Jan. 2025
It is also prefigured (another Biblical device) by Pharaoh’s order, in Exodus, to kill all male babies born to Hebrew mothers.
—Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 13 Jan. 2025
Its extreme hostility to the very idea of liberal governance, its skepticism of democracy, and its faith in the primacy of the wealthy over the law all prefigured the way that Trump and Elon Musk would assail key functions of government in 2025.
—Zack Beauchamp, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
See All Example Sentences for prefigure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefigure
Verb
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Moreover, the film is also a vision of a time pregnant with radical change, with Michèle’s dramatic leap off course foreshadowing the imminent crisis of the Francosphere.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
10 Sep. 2025
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That report speaks to inflation being a legitimate issue and could be foreshadowing a hotter CPI number.—
JJ Kinahan,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Before all that happened, though, there was the eight-course dinner, which went totally fine as predicted.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Sep. 2025
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Explore Fall, a website that provides resources and tools to track the changing colors of leaves, is predicting an earlier and quicker fall foliage peak for the millions of people looking to see this year's natural spectacle.—
Kyle Reiman,
ABC News,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The bank double upgraded shares of the chocolate and cocoa products company to buy from sell and hiked its price target to $222 from $170, which implies more than 19% upside from Monday's closing price.—
Sean Conlon,
CNBC,
16 Sep. 2025
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As the name implies, this chili comes together in a flash, just like lightning.—
Jenna Sims,
Southern Living,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Fluoridation has long been heralded as a public health triumph, but skeptics increasingly hold sway in government.—
Anna Clark,
ProPublica,
18 Sep. 2025
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His supporters included the USC Gould School of Law’s Post Conviction Justice Project, which represented him before the parole board, then heralded his release from prison, publicly describing Mutch as an advocate for nonviolence who had served as a mediator inside prison walls.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Webb regularly shares videos of Kota's antics on social media, but this heartwarming video of Kota's reaction has certainly captured far more attention than anticipated.—
Alyce Collins,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
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Economists polled by FactSet had been anticipating a minor improvement in consumer sentiment from August.—
Elisabeth Buchwald,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prefigure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefigure. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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