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
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
These opulent volumes prefigure the label’s high jewelry offering.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2025
Your 2018 book, The Lies That Bind, seems to have prefigured the backlash against a certain way of talking about identity—as essential or at least fixed—that was prevalent in the 2010s.
—Lula Konner, The New York Review of Books, 4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prefigure
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
These opulent volumes prefigure the label’s high jewelry offering.
—Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2025
Your 2018 book, The Lies That Bind, seems to have prefigured the backlash against a certain way of talking about identity—as essential or at least fixed—that was prevalent in the 2010s.
—Lula Konner, The New York Review of Books, 4 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prefigure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefigure
Verb
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Those contentious talks foreshadowed the extended lockout in the winter before the 2022 season.—
Andy McCullough,
New York Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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The shift reflects a broader transformation in how AI labor is valued—one that is reshaping workplace norms and could foreshadow similar pressures in other sectors as automation and innovation accelerate.—
Sharon Goldman,
Fortune,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Experts have predicted the race could net up to five more seats for the Democratic congressional delegation.—
Lia Russell
February 21,
Sacbee.com,
22 Feb. 2026
-
When tested, their atom-thin communication system not only survived months in orbit—it is predicted to last centuries in harsher space environments.—
Rupendra Brahambhatt,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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But the legal representatives also urged Orlins to respect other contestants, and implied that her political posts were harming other contestants.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
23 Feb. 2026
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Analyst Angel Castillo’s $560 price target implies a downside of 15%.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As spring approaches, heralding an end to the dreary winter season, thrift stores are looking for more donations of specific items.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
23 Feb. 2026
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Their rustic aesthetic heralded an acoustic music boom that included acts like Ed Sheeran, Noah Kahan, and Zach Bryan, and their sound crept into the rhythms of pop.—
Jon Dolan,
Rolling Stone,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Germany’s population to shrink faster than expected Germany’s population is set to shrink 5% by 2050, much faster than previously anticipated, new forecasts suggest.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
23 Feb. 2026
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The result was broadly anticipated, and the reason is simple, as Buckley’s campaign has looked like the closest thing to a straight line in a season full of detours.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
22 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prefigure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefigure. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
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