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
-
Half of those tested had osteoporosis or a forerunner condition, osteopenia.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Oct. 2025 -
Compared to their forerunners in the tsarist era, with their party congresses held abroad, their executive committees, and their active recruitment in imperial Russia’s universities, Soviet dissidents remained a comparatively small and informal conglomeration of activists.—
Benjamin Nathans
September 24,
Literary Hub,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Tellingly, these names belonged to a deceased mother and son, foreshadowing that Willa will eventually become a kind of parent to Bob.—
Robert Daniels,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Several of the country’s biggest news outlets are publicly pushing back on the rules, foreshadowing a potential legal battle.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
The beans are typically piled in wooden boxes or baskets, in which bacteria and fungi break down the beans’ pulpy coating, producing chemicals that generate flavor precursors within the beans.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
18 Oct. 2025
-
At the same time, Ohtani’s preparing for a chance to clinch the team’s second consecutive NL pennant, the precursor of repeating as World Series champions.—
Barry M. Bloom,
Sportico.com,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Autumn has draped itself across the northern hemisphere, heralding the onset of longer, darker nights that serve as the perfect backdrop for amateur astronomers looking to explore the wonders of the night sky.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
14 Oct. 2025
-
Now, back in Los Angeles, Bieber is heralding fall in her tried-and-tested transeasonal uniform.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The key question investors and the Fed are trying to answer is whether this slight slackening presages a far worse outlook, even a recession, or whether reports of rising uncertainty merely reflect people’s feelings, not economic reality.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
18 June 2025
-
The result is chaos, bewilderment and delay that presages rising consumer prices.—
Peter S. Goodman,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Many reckoned with its ideals; pervasive talk of liberty held particular portent for women’s lives.—
Jane Kamensky,
The Atlantic,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Keane, though, sees nothing but disaster ahead, a portent presaged by some of the film’s most enduring images, like a stretch limo with a flat tire and a steam room littered with empty champagne bottles.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And analysts are predicting prices will go even lower.—
Frank Witsil,
Freep.com,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Animal models, on the other hand, are more biologically complete but expensive, slow to yield results, and not always reliable for predicting human outcomes.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
As Crane hints, Brooke’s take on the eighteenth-century sentimental romance would be a controversial selection as Canada’s first.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
18 Oct. 2025
-
Dæmons seem to be an outward manifestation of the complex nature of humans that encompasses, male, female and animalistic characteristics that hint towards the breaking of gender binaries and the possibilities of interspecies relations.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 Oct. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Prefiguring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefiguring. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share