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
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 foreshadowing
Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2025
The Dreamgirls star provided some foreshadowing of the big day in a November 2006 interview with Cosmopolitan.
—Emy Lacroix, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Could this be a foreshadowing of how the Opening Day lineup might look?
—Katie Woo, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
But there’s also a bit of distracting stunt casting in the form of Kurt Russell as a corrupt mogul named Dob McCoy, who has a special ability to turn locals against each other and ruin their crops, his castor farm an ominous foreshadowing of hell-bent poisonings to come.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foreshadowing
Noun
The foreshadowing of their downfall is more interesting than anything else Porsha is bringing to the show in what was supposed to be her triumphant return.
—Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2025
The Dreamgirls star provided some foreshadowing of the big day in a November 2006 interview with Cosmopolitan.
—Emy Lacroix, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025
Could this be a foreshadowing of how the Opening Day lineup might look?
—Katie Woo, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025
But there’s also a bit of distracting stunt casting in the form of Kurt Russell as a corrupt mogul named Dob McCoy, who has a special ability to turn locals against each other and ruin their crops, his castor farm an ominous foreshadowing of hell-bent poisonings to come.
—Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foreshadowing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foreshadowing
Noun
-
Military training was also a non-starter, since the U.S. Army Air Service (a forerunner to the Air Force) did not accept women.—
Victor Luckerson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 May 2025
-
It has been said that Nomad was the forerunner of all modern station wagons.—
David Krumboltz,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The 49ers being the sixth favorite to win the Super Bowl next year seems insane and more based on past success rather than predicting future success.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
16 Mar. 2025
-
Mapping features is not the same as fully predicting behavior.—
Cornelia C. Walther,
Forbes.com,
9 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Here is what the judges had to say about it: Aromas of delicate agave and hints of herbs provide an inviting nose.—
Hudson Lindenberger,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
-
There’s been speculation in the Russian and Western media about areas for possible negotiation, and the outcome of the Istanbul talks are being closely watched for any hints of flexibility.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
2 June 2025
Noun
-
Tort claims are typically filed as precursors to a potential lawsuit.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
22 May 2025
-
Gleason worked as a senior adviser to the U.S. Digital Service, the precursor to DOGE.—
Melissa Quinn
May 21,
CBS News,
21 May 2025
Verb
-
Analyst Joseph Spak lowered his price target to $51 from $64, implying 11% upside.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Citi kept its buy rating with a $265 per share price target, implying 46% upside to Friday’s close.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Thus, the negative GDP change should not be taken as a portent of looming disaster.—
Bill Conerly,
Forbes.com,
6 May 2025
-
Unbeknown to player and club, the transfer carried portents of the sombre fate that awaited him.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Perez made a very specific prediction on Tuesday night.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
4 June 2025
-
That’s the news from a leaker called Fixed Focus Digital, whose Weibo predictions have included some strong hits and a few misses — so they may yet be proved wrong.—
David Phelan,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
Verb
-
Now, the couple is eagerly anticipating the arrival of their first baby.—
Mark Davis,
Newsweek,
14 Mar. 2025
-
That means skywatchers around the globe are anticipating a flood of incredible lunar images over the next few days.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
13 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Foreshadowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foreshadowing. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share