as in to anticipate
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the strife in Bloody Kansas in the 1850s adumbrated the civil war that would follow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 adumbrate
In between, works by contemporaries complicate superficial ideas about his meteoric genius, and small, delicate drawings teem with an abundance of ideas — paintings never made, thoughts adumbrated then abandoned.
—
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2019
Nothing in America’s tepid 19th-century contributions to European classical music adumbrated it; nor did the homely and sometimes hokey popular songs of Stephen Foster.
—Heather Mac Donald, National Review, 22 Aug. 2019
The helicopter crash, on the other hand, is a narrative dead end, merely adumbrating the portrait that Mr. Davenport will draw of Mr. Bezos as unflappable.
—Randall Stross, WSJ, 15 Apr. 2018
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2019
Nothing in America’s tepid 19th-century contributions to European classical music adumbrated it; nor did the homely and sometimes hokey popular songs of Stephen Foster.
—Heather Mac Donald, National Review, 22 Aug. 2019
The helicopter crash, on the other hand, is a narrative dead end, merely adumbrating the portrait that Mr. Davenport will draw of Mr. Bezos as unflappable.
—Randall Stross, WSJ, 15 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adumbrate
Verb
-
Read the full Cancer Daily Horoscope Leo (July 23 - August 22) Stuck in the past or anticipating the future?—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
-
The previous seasons culminated in all-time excitement at the start of this campaign, which many considered the most anticipated in recent history.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
13 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The intentionally half-baked approach to Season 2 foreshadows an overstuffed and potentially controversial third season, the emotional effect of which will be dulled by the likely long hiatus (Season 1 premiered in January 2023).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
What Will Happen Next? Zuckerberg may have foreshadowed the endgame about seven years ago – divesting Instagram and possibly WhatsApp.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Models predict that most meteorites – over half – should also be carbonaceous.—
Patrick M. Shober,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Imagine walking into a meeting where one project manager is using AI to automate reporting, predict risks, and optimize resources in real-time, while another is still relying on manual tracking and outdated tools.—
Chris Gallagher,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The widescreen, 35mm format prefigured IMAX and other high-density imagery in a way that still stuns on screen.—
John Wenzel,
The Denver Post,
31 Jan. 2025
-
It is also prefigured (another Biblical device) by Pharaoh’s order, in Exodus, to kill all male babies born to Hebrew mothers.—
Louis Menand,
The New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
The business leaders’ statement implies that the region might be in danger of losing one or both teams, but neither has threatened to leave the Kansas City area.—
Mike Hendricks,
Kansas City Star,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Gentry implied that the growth sprang largely from American unexpectedly adding flights, which the airport is contractually obliged to accommodate, The Ledger reported.—
Ted Reed,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Chain-of-Thought (CoT) Prompting Chain-of-Thought (CoT) prompting has been heralded as one of the most important prompting techniques.—
Lance Eliot,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
-
Often heralded as prophetic, this novel centers on a young girl with a debilitating form of hyperempathy.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Experts also foresee a rise in crimes, online harassment and diminished human agency and new challenges in security.—
Hessie Jones,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
-
Wind gusts of up to 40 mph and marble-sized hail (0.5 inches) are foreseen.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adumbrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adumbrate. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share