1
as in forerunner
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
a red sky in the morning can be a portent of a coming storm
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2
as in miracle
something extraordinary or surprising
a scout was sent to have a look at this teenage pitcher who was supposed to be the latest portent of the baseball world
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of portent
That seemed a portent of more to come as the June primary inches ever closer.
—
Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
That seemed a portent of more to come as the June primary inches ever closer.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026
By the end of 1857, no one knew the crack-up of the Union was coming in three years, or that the nation would be in a civil war in four, but the portents were bleak.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
If that is the case, the Ring Nebula could be a portent of what awaits Earth in around 5 billion years when the sun runs out of fuel for nuclear fusion and puffs out to become a red giant.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portent
Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026
That seemed a portent of more to come as the June primary inches ever closer.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Feb. 2026
By the end of 1857, no one knew the crack-up of the Union was coming in three years, or that the nation would be in a civil war in four, but the portents were bleak.
—Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
If that is the case, the Ring Nebula could be a portent of what awaits Earth in around 5 billion years when the sun runs out of fuel for nuclear fusion and puffs out to become a red giant.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for portent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portent
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
-
Hungary’s incoming premier today showed investors how austere he is compared to his forerunner.—
Jonathan Tirone,
Bloomberg,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The Broncos went 15-4 last year, testing the expiration dates on miracle finishes, while suffocating opponents with a relentless defense.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
-
From above, the city appeared like a miracle.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Energy Secretary Chris Wright warned yesterday that gas prices could stay above $3 per gallon until next year, a bad omen for consumers already feeling the pinch of higher costs.—
Alex Harring,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Perhaps someday the sound of horseshoes to pavement will serve as some kind of omen to the city’s future residents.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Scientists can draw on it to identify and study 100,000 exoplanets, hundreds of millions of galaxies, billions of stars, and rare objects and phenomena — including some that astronomers have never witnessed before.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
-
Wadie Abunassar, the coordinator of the Holy Land Christian Forum, called attacks targeting Christians a growing phenomenon.—
Yuliya Talmazan,
NBC news,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Typically, full contact is the precursor to an injured player’s return to game action.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 May 2026
-
To address this, researchers added a two-dimensional perovskite and formamidinium chloride to the precursor solution.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
No wonder the looks still read fresh and modern despite two decades having passed since its debut.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
30 Apr. 2026
-
And the Lakers need their not-quite-ageless wonder to be at least great to beat these Houston Rockets one more time.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His comments contained a bit of foreshadowing.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Videos using the format typically present a normal or relatable situation, followed by the implication that something will go wrong — mirroring the foreshadowing associated with the film scene.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Festival season is upon us, with four long-running events returning this weekend to Cupertino, San Jose and Half Moon Bay for fans of culture, music and mechanical marvels.—
Linda Zavoral,
Mercury News,
24 Apr. 2026
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The Emperor’s battle arena, for example, is a marvel of moody set design, its barbarity brought to life by the throngs of people crowding to watch the action from atop its grated roof.—
David Ehrlich,
IndieWire,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portent. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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