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
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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
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Full moons Here are the rest of the full moons to anticipate this year.—
Ashley Strickland,
CNN,
11 Feb. 2025
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Bealer anticipates the project will be completed by mid-May with the pool open to the public starting May 31.—
Daniel I. Dorfman,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Specifically, the credits now foreshadow particular moments that emerge over the course of the season: Look no further than the moment when innie Mark hobbles about a hilly grassland, which turns to be an actual milieu for a scene anchored by Gwendoline Christie in episode three.—
Nicholas Quah,
Vulture,
5 Feb. 2025
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The ending is foreshadowed throughout the movie, as disturbing behavior from Annie's kids and herself eventually turns fatal.—
Erica Marrison,
People.com,
19 Jan. 2025
Verb
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That’s the part that’s really difficult to predict and build into an analysis.—
Megan Poinski,
Forbes,
11 Feb. 2025
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Fundamental research in the biology of branching helps cure cardiovascular diseases and cancer, design materials that can heal themselves and predict how trees will respond to a changing climate.—
Mitchell Newberry,
The Conversation,
11 Feb. 2025
Verb
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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
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The Page Act prefigured the near-total ban on Chinese immigration to the U.S. seven years later, with the Exclusion Act of 1882—the country’s first federal law to restrict a group on the basis of race.—
Jane Hu,
The New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Your question implies that there was something to lose.—
Jason Parham,
WIRED,
14 Feb. 2025
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Pivotal nearly doubled its target to $125 from $65 — implying 44% upside from Thursday’s close — while Wells Fargo upped its target to $129 from $74, which reflects more than 48% upside potential.—
Sean Conlon,
CNBC,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The show was heralded for its highlighting of iconic and diverse neighborhoods and locations across Los Angeles that have sometimes been ignored by other Hollywood productions.—
Jayne Yutig,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Feb. 2025
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While not a household name for some, New Orleans native Ledisi is heralded among fans for her potent vocals and colorful riffs integrated within a spirited fusion of R&B, soul, gospel and jazz.—
Gail Mitchell,
Billboard,
9 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Without that help, however, Lee could foresee a much longer timeline to undo the harm from all those skincare trends.—
Zoey Lyttle,
People.com,
13 Feb. 2025
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The festival may not have foreseen that Torres might be rubbing shoulders with rival Oscar nominee Gascón in the wake of her recent scandal.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
3 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Adumbrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adumbrate. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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