as in predicting
formal + literary
to be a sign or warning that something usually bad or unpleasant is going to happen
The distant thunder portended a storm. If you're superstitious, a black cat portends trouble.
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portending
Verb
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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
Verb
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As one manifestation of Carter’s commitment, his administration began to oppose loans from international financial institutions to rights-abusing governments, promising to provide financial support only after these countries demonstrated concrete improvements on human rights.—
Michael Posner,
Forbes,
6 Jan. 2025
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Was Knies’ promising rookie season not necessarily a sign of things to come?—
Joshua Kloke,
The Athletic,
5 Jan. 2025
Verb
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These could include forecasting wind speeds for renewable energy installations or predicting rainfall for agricultural interests.—
Andrew Freedman,
Axios,
24 Mar. 2025
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Auburn and Houston continue the marathon, and Vegas is forecasting both Michigan-Texas A&M and BYU-Wisconsin as one-score games.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
The Athletic,
22 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Portending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portending. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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