as in forerunner
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
the preaching of John the Baptist is generally regarded by Christians as a prefiguring of the ministry of Jesus
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in foreshadowing
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the first crocus traditionally prefigures the arrival of spring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefiguring
Noun
-
While Bass remains widely viewed as the forerunner, recent polling suggests the race might be tightening heading into the final days before the June 2 primary.—
Teresa Liu,
Daily News,
29 May 2026 -
Under Revie, over the course of the next 13 seasons, Leeds won promotion, were champions of England twice, won the League Cup, the FA Cup and twice lifted the Fairs Cup (the forerunner of the UEFA Cup, now the Europa League).—
Michael Walker,
New York Times,
22 May 2026
Verb
-
The fire in his eyes would rage suddenly, with only a few embers of Mature Vic foreshadowing Angry Vic’s arrival.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
13 May 2026
-
Bathrooms are expansive and clad in white marble, foreshadowing the scale of the sublime spa across the street.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Tort claims are typically filed as a precursor to a lawsuit.—
Rose Evans
Updated May 29,
Idaho Statesman,
29 May 2026
-
But the true precursor to the UFC Octagon might be the wrestling cage.—
Harmeet Kaur,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
Schroeder mostly threaded the needle between talking up the NFL’s longstanding TV partners and heralding streaming’s growing role in serving up its 272 regular-season games.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
15 May 2026
-
Longer days are finally here, heralding the start of spring.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
8 May 2026
Noun
-
Sometimes, the departure of an underperforming executive or official presages improvements ahead.—
Business Columnist,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
-
An index of 50 is balanced and presages neither economic expansion nor contraction.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In 2018, that monopoly was assailed by signs and portents.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
-
That Mann and his daughter, at a posh Frankfurt hotel party, glimpse so many remnants of the Nazi era — including Erika’s ex-husband, who collaborated with the regime — is another portent of darkness.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
Still, when weather patterns resemble past hurricanes, AI can be highly effective at recognizing relationships and predicting future storm behavior.—
Katie Garch,
The Orlando Sentinel,
29 May 2026
-
On top of predicting which PFAS will accumulate in the body and which will be excreted, researchers also have to contend with a person’s metabolism, the process by which chemicals – including some PFAS – are biologically transformed by the body.—
Carrie McDonough,
The Conversation,
29 May 2026
Noun
-
The palate is chewy and flavorful, with caramel, toffee, peanut brittle, cinnamon, clove, and hints of dark cherry and orange peel.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2026
-
There is even, perhaps, a hint of incestuous desire.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
26 May 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Prefiguring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefiguring. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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