Thesaurus results for PREFIGURING

prefiguring 1 of 2

noun

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

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prefiguring

2 of 2

verb

present participle of prefigure

as in foreshadowing

to give a slight indication of beforehand the first crocus traditionally prefigures the arrival of spring

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of prefiguring

Verb

On the city’s West Side, the site of storied clubs such as Silvio’s as well as the Maxwell Street Market, blues musicians developed a style of electric blues in the 1950s that typically included a horn section (prefiguring soul music). — René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefiguring

Noun

Rather than try to replicate his forerunners’ styles of success, Ternus has so far played to his own strengths—which are also those of Apple, a company that first and foremost builds beautiful products that spark productivity, creativity, and joy.

— Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Dubbed the ‘American Turtle’ for its appearance, the submarine made three attempts to blow up British ships without success, but is considered the forerunner of modern submarines.

— Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of forerunner

Verb

Outside groups weighing in on attempts to change Colorado law through the ballot have started spending big money, foreshadowing what’s sure to be a bruising six-week stretch before Election Day.

— Nick Coltrain, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2026
Wingo also thrived, catching seven passes for 121 yards and a score, foreshadowing the issues opponents will have trying to blanket both him and Coleman on the outside.

— Sam Khan Jr, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Definition of foreshadowing

Noun

The three have also introduced tax plans that could be precursors to 2028 platforms.

— Jared Ochacher, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Perhaps the clearest precursor to the complicated racial dynamics of deepfake memes is what happened on TikTok at the turn of the decade.

— Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of precursor

Verb

Some pundits are heralding the end of Nike’s chokehold on the athlete marketing space, while others predict a turn toward a more varied sector.

— Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026
Analysts say the student group and Vucic are polling closely, heralding a tight race and a referendum-like atmosphere.

— Jovana Gec, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026

Definition of heralding

Verb

Next year will see more classic accessories used in less traditional ways with Whatnot predicting shoppers will reuse pieces that are in their own closets.

— Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 21 Oct. 2026
When the year started, investors were predicting a slew of AI companies going public, including SpaceX, Anthropic and OpenAI.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of predicting

Noun

Eager to interpret the gods’ will—surely, stones that trailed light must hold sacred portent—the Romans consulted the Sibylline Books.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026
Grâce à la merveilleuse découverte de la Science Chrétienne, nos prières pour le monde sont efficaces et portent leurs fruits.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of portent

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prefigures

prefiguring

pregnancy

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Style

“Prefiguring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefiguring. Accessed 23 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of prefiguring

noun

verb

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