as in to foreshadow
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the first crocus traditionally prefigures the arrival of spring
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Recent Examples of prefigure
Military action in Venezuela today without allies may prefigure action tomorrow against allies—for example, to invade and annex Greenland.
—
David Frum, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026
Chess by telegraph also prefigured chess played through other means of telecommunications.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Dec. 2025
Tragedy strikes many times in this decades-spanning story, in many forms, but the defining event of Grainier’s life sees his home burned to the ground, an event that eerily prefigures the LA fires of early 2025.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 8 Nov. 2025
The dynamic prefigured the White House of Bush 43, which the Veep largely staffed, and substantially dominated.
—Karl Vick, Time, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prefigure
David Frum, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2026
Chess by telegraph also prefigured chess played through other means of telecommunications.
—IEEE Spectrum, 11 Dec. 2025
Tragedy strikes many times in this decades-spanning story, in many forms, but the defining event of Grainier’s life sees his home burned to the ground, an event that eerily prefigures the LA fires of early 2025.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 8 Nov. 2025
The dynamic prefigured the White House of Bush 43, which the Veep largely staffed, and substantially dominated.
—Karl Vick, Time, 4 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prefigure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefigure
Verb
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Meanwhile, quarterback Jalen Hurts, speaking at his first news conference of the offseason Wednesday, seemed to foreshadow the inevitable.—
Daniel Popper,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
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The Drama Desk Awards have long foreshadowed triumphs at the Tony Awards.—
Marc Hershberg,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Higher education experts predict fiercer competition among colleges trying to attract students from a smaller cohort, as well as potential enrollment declines that could rock an institution’s bottom line.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
31 May 2026
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But far from hurting retail sales, Lottery officials at the time of the Legislature’s approval predicted potential benefits for brick-and-mortar outlets.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
31 May 2026
Verb
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The original creepypasta that inspired the phenomenon (posted to 4chan in 2019) is the only canonical Backrooms document—the post implies the presence of a monster, but stops short of describing it.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
31 May 2026
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As the name implies, the French pedicure shares the same DNA as a French manicure.—
Fiona Embleton,
Glamour,
31 May 2026
Verb
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Shortly after the legislation was signed, National Wildlife Federation heralded the bill as a model for other states.—
Noël Fletcher,
Forbes.com,
1 June 2026
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County officials heralded the investigation for providing new details from the chaotic first hours of the firestorm, which highlighted incident commanders’ lack of situational awareness.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The Heart is a Lonely Hunter was hotly anticipated, despite—or because of—its strangeness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
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The Washington Examiner also contacted Democrats, elected or otherwise, who are anticipated to run for their party’s 2028 presidential nomination, including Govs.—
Naomi Lim,
The Washington Examiner,
31 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prefigure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefigure. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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