as in forerunner
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
the hero's strange encounter with a grave digger is often seen as a foreshadowing of his own death
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in predicting
to give a slight indication of beforehand
a series of small tremors that foreshadowed the massive earthquake the next day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of foreshadowing
Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 22 Feb. 2026
Jesus also washed the feet of his disciples and shared a foreshadowing of Judas’ betrayal at the Garden of Gethsemane.
—Marina Johnson, IndyStar, 20 Feb. 2026
Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2026
Be Very Afraid is like foreshadowing.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foreshadowing
Noun
Jesus also washed the feet of his disciples and shared a foreshadowing of Judas’ betrayal at the Garden of Gethsemane.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 22 Feb. 2026
Jesus also washed the feet of his disciples and shared a foreshadowing of Judas’ betrayal at the Garden of Gethsemane.
—Marina Johnson, IndyStar, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
Thousands gathered outside the gates hoping to glimpse the couple, turning what might have been a society wedding into a national spectacle—and foreshadowing the intense public fascination that would follow the Kennedys for decades.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2026
Be Very Afraid is like foreshadowing.
—Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 26 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for foreshadowing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foreshadowing
Noun
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Even the Hammurabi Code, a set of laws created by the sixth Babylonian king in approximately 1760 bce, established forerunners of today’s interest rate and minimum wage laws.—
Chris Roush,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
22 Apr. 2026
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Hungary’s incoming premier today showed investors how austere he is compared to his forerunner.—
Jonathan Tirone,
Bloomberg,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Local water is also more reliable, even though predicting rain in the Mediterranean climate of Southern California is about as easy as choosing a winning Super Lotto number.—
Steve Scauzillo,
Daily News,
24 Apr. 2026
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The mountains have a higher probability of precipitation, with weather experts predicting a 20% to 40% chance in the Bogus area.—
Sally Krutzig,
Idaho Statesman,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This desire to find connection in loss hints that death can often be more tangible to process than estrangement.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Apr. 2026
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The first hint of celebrity Once America became an independent nation, its hatred for the crown turned into intrigue.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The micro-drama, or duanju, emerged around 2018, and became popular on Douyin, the Chinese precursor to TikTok.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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Then a guy named Jerry Harvey started Z Channel, the legendary precursor to HBO.—
Donald Liebenson,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The hospitalization estimates are equally absurd, implying that one in 18 additional Americans would have required hospitalization for COVID from December 2020–November 2022.—
Ian Miller OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2026
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But the majority of analysts have only a hold rating, with a price target implying shares will pull back about 7% over the next year, according to LSEG.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The company’s example was seen by many as a portent of the AI future.—
Geoff Colvin,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
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Rather than receiving traditional care, however, Hylton was unwittingly plunged into a cold experiment in using remote work to offset hospital staffing shortages, which could be a grim portent in an age of AI automation.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But while Pritzker’s actions may be read through the lens of his potential 2028 presidential ambitions, the broader issue of who can regulate prediction markets has been building for months.—
Olivia Olander,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
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Traders on the prediction market site Polymarket were giving Musk 32% odds of success as of Friday, after weeks of volatile price swings.—
David Ingram,
NBC news,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
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All of it is encrypted, and some of it could be stored by actors anticipating that current encryption methods may become less effective over time.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
29 Apr. 2026
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Several billionaires have already moved out of the state, anticipating this tax.—
Steve Large,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foreshadowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreshadowing. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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