as in herald
one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another
her father's successful job interview was seen as a harbinger of better times to come
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to herald
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the hope that the housing slump does not harbinger a general economic recession
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harbinger
Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2025
Those declines were harbingers of monetary hardship that in some cases lasted for years before the economy began to recover.
—George Petras, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
So their arrival in the world of the New Avengers may be a harbinger of scary things to come.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 2 May 2025
Was Clase’s poor showing against the New York Yankees in last season’s playoffs a harbinger of pending problems?
—Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for harbinger
Noun
Ashley Lyle, Bart Nickerson and Jonathan Lisco said that was a harbinger about Misty always being involved in Nat’s death.
—Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 14 Apr. 2025
Those declines were harbingers of monetary hardship that in some cases lasted for years before the economy began to recover.
—George Petras, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
So their arrival in the world of the New Avengers may be a harbinger of scary things to come.
—Eliana Dockterman, Time, 2 May 2025
Was Clase’s poor showing against the New York Yankees in last season’s playoffs a harbinger of pending problems?
—Bernie Pleskoff, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for harbinger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harbinger
Noun
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Like the Marvel comics, Shalla-Bal is the herald of Galactus, a planet-devouring behemoth who is voiced by Ralph Ineson in the movie.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2025
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In the original comics, the Silver Surfer was Norrin Radd, a male astronomer from the planet Zenn-La who became the herald of Galactus.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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While Florida, Colorado, Washington, D.C., California and Washington state experienced the greatest value declines from March to April, the data could foreshadow a larger housing market shift.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 May 2025
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Last summer’s positive readings foreshadowed a modest rebound in deal activity, and spring saw that play out with strong March and April numbers.—
John Walkup,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2025
Noun
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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
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It has been said that Nomad was the forerunner of all modern station wagons.—
David Krumboltz,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Something like our turbulence prediction module might someday be inserted into bigger climate models that can do better at predicting things like hurricanes.—
Steve Nadis,
Wired News,
1 June 2025
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Spinrad visited Southern California in late May and was taken aback by the number of people raising concern over the agency’s ability to continue predicting atmospheric river events, with all of their implications on public safety, reservoir operations and hydro power.—
Michael Wilner,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2025
Noun
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Tort claims are typically filed as precursors to a potential lawsuit.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
22 May 2025
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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
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Unlike his small-time Israeli rivals, the placards implied, Netanyahu was a savvy statesman who punched above his weight on the international stage, thanks to his unaccented English oratory and ability to inveigle the world’s most powerful people.—
Yair Rosenberg,
The Atlantic,
22 May 2025
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The band sued Brinker International, the parent company of Chili’s Grill & Bar, last July, alleging that the use of the Ill Communication song falsely implied that Beastie Boys endorsed Chili’s.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
22 May 2025
Noun
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Kayla gets back to their office to find that the official sign came in, and Jimmy put her name first.—
Jessica M. Goldstein,
Vulture,
23 May 2025
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After all, the year started with many signs indicating that 2025 could be a strong comeback year for initial public offerings.—
Lisya Bahar Manoah,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2025
Verb
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Its extreme hostility to the very idea of liberal governance, its skepticism of democracy, and its faith in the primacy of the wealthy over the law all prefigured the way that Trump and Elon Musk would assail key functions of government in 2025.—
Zack Beauchamp,
Vox,
7 Dec. 2018
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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
Cite this Entry
“Harbinger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harbinger. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.
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