as in to predict
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.
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Recent Examples of portend
An analyst is of the view that Tesla’s stock slump portends a future in which the multinational corporation has to work in a nationalist world.
—
Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2025
Siakam’s 2018-19 season seemed to portend great things for his shooting from deep, but his inconsistency has been the bigger story for the 30-year-old.
—Tom Rende, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Asked whether the Russian storyline portends a narrative more rooted in world events, White demurs.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
Familiar Touch portends the arrival of major directorial talent.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portend
Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 26 Feb. 2025
Siakam’s 2018-19 season seemed to portend great things for his shooting from deep, but his inconsistency has been the bigger story for the 30-year-old.
—Tom Rende, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Asked whether the Russian storyline portends a narrative more rooted in world events, White demurs.
—Charlie Campbell, TIME, 24 Jan. 2025
Familiar Touch portends the arrival of major directorial talent.
—Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 5 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portend
Verb
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In the first two months of the year, core inflation, which excludes volatile items such as food and energy, is estimated to have risen by just 0.3%, Macquarie’s Hu said, predicting that this would mark the longest deflationary streak since 1993.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
21 Mar. 2025
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Over the winter, The Athletic predicted a 2-year, $26 million deal for Verdugo.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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When the order first came down last year, an Amazon spokesperson promised that the company would appeal the CPSC’s decision.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
19 Mar. 2025
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The early returns are promising albeit a small sample size: The Knicks are outscoring opponents at a rate of 45.9 points per 100 possessions in the 19 minutes over four games Towns and Robinson have shared the floor together.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
19 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Quarterback’s global success presaged Christmas Day NFL action.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
25 Feb. 2025
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But instead, many trade experts warn, Mr. Trump’s action could presage a global shift toward higher tariffs.—
Keith Bradsher,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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However, today most young people rarely call each other.—
Andrea Wigfield,
CNN,
14 Feb. 2023
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Their children’s schoolmates call the sisters the Puffling Queens.—
Cheryl Katz,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 Feb. 2023
Verb
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The Sibyl appears in the epigraph of The Wasteland, unable to foretell her own death.—
Vipin Bharathan,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
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Oberon’s strides foretold the ability of Dev Patel, of Gujarati descent, to assume the title role in The Personal History of David Copperfield, based on the Charles Dickens novel.—
Mayukh Sen,
The Atlantic,
1 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Despite the difficulty, in some cases the stakes are so high—as with North Korea and its nuclear weapons—that armies will have no choice but to take the fight to what is often a vast, foreboding underworld.—
Kyle Mizokami,
Popular Mechanics,
27 June 2023
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There are foreboding close-ups on clock faces and their fast-changing digits.—
Erica Gonzales,
ELLE,
23 June 2023
Verb
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Trump’s reelection augurs two trends in U.S. foreign policy that will be difficult to reverse.—
Daniel W. Drezner,
Foreign Affairs,
12 Nov. 2024
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The items can be accessed by the customer turning a little knob that augurs the product into the customer’s hand.—
Roger Dooley,
Forbes,
21 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portend. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.
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