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
-
Perfected by forerunners such as Fiona Apple and Alanis Morissette, this fall has already seen two music stars gift us with lay-it-all-out-there lyrics.—
Dan Heching,
CNN Money,
28 Oct. 2025 -
The Park cinema launched under the ownership of Cineplex Odeon Cinemas, a forerunner of Cineplex and today an operator of multiplexes and out of home destinations.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The film’s most unsettling scenes connect Hans' murder spree with the bloodlust of the German public, foreshadowing the Nazis’ rise to power just a few years later.—
Katie Rife,
Entertainment Weekly,
30 Oct. 2025
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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
Noun
-
Nya Lödöse was an important precursor to modern-day Gothenburg, located in the city’s eastern part between 1473 and 1624.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Nov. 2025
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Bogle introduced the first index fund for everyday investors, a precursor to the Vanguard 500.—
Mark Dent,
HubSpot,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The November full moon is upon us, heralding a spectacular natural light show as the largest supermoon of 2025 takes to the sky near the peak of the Southern Taurid meteor shower, which is known for producing dramatic fireball shooting stars.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The duo has a fresh start on a new show, heralding in a new era while still honoring the past.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
23 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
For Swain, the rise of directs presages nothing less than a revolution in the world’s financial markets.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
1 Nov. 2025
-
The result is chaos, bewilderment and delay that presages rising consumer prices.—
Peter S. Goodman,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Carol’s favorite, Bella Donna, does not carry the same dark portents.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
12 Dec. 2025
-
But with the hindsight of the 2025 campaign, it is filled with signifiers, the emergence from the TV to dazzle the local villagers a portent of a savvy politician who got elected by stepping away from the screen to meet physically with voters.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Often, these are small leagues (six teams), and there is a mix of strategies — targeting players with great upside and/or matchups, and predicting who will go deepest into the playoffs.—
Jake Ciely,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
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Our designers are predicting a shift towards more opaque palettes featuring olive greens, chocolate browns, deep, muted variations of red, and off-white hues, much like those seen in the 2026 colors of the year.—
Nishaa Sharma,
The Spruce,
5 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
After you’re done cleaning up the kitchen or tackling tough stains around the house, a simple wash with oxygen bleach or a hint of chlorine bleach can make white towels look new again.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
10 Jan. 2026
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The mix of spices held a hint of spiciness, but still pretty flavorful and wasn’t overwhelming.—
Alexa Stone
January 9,
Kansas City Star,
9 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Prefiguring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefiguring. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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