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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Although some categories of goods and services may be exempt or subject to a lower rate, the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industry anticipates its costs to rise by over $19 billion.—
Priya Prakash Royal Esq. LL.M. MBA AEP TEP,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2025
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While rates are high, many of the forecasts that anticipated skyrocketing car prices, thanks to higher tariffs, have not proven true quite yet.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
31 July 2025
Verb
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The film was divisive from the jump, with some critics saying Aster’s film is incendiary on purpose – meant to rile conspiracy theorists, incite liberal outrage and foreshadow the inevitability of a second Trump term.—
Matt Donnelly,
Variety,
22 July 2025
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The eagle’s intent watching of the tourists might have foreshadowed the aggression, Miranda says.—
Joshua Rapp Learn,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 July 2025
Verb
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What does the Old Farmer's Almanac predict for fall in Michigan?—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
31 July 2025
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People have been predicting the death of cinema since not too long after the birth of cinema.—
Michael Phillips,
Chicago Tribune,
31 July 2025
Verb
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This early embrace of mechanical rhythm prefigured what would later become a foundation of hip-hop and electronic music.—
Jose Valentino Ruiz,
The Conversation,
13 June 2025
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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
Verb
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Still, other research implies that xylitol’s diarrhea-inducing effects cause reduced food consumption that supports weight management.5 Xylitol contains fewer calories than table sugar (sucrose).—
Amy Brownstein,
Verywell Health,
1 Aug. 2025
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And in a post on X in early February, Elon Musk and other Trump allies implied that Lutheran aid groups had misused funds.—
Fatma Tanis,
NPR,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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After the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) heralds the arrival of Galactus (Ralph Ineson), announcing that Earth is next on the menu, the Fantastic Four head into space to negotiate with the big, hungry giant, and quickly learn that giving up baby Franklin is the only way to save their planet.—
Dani Di Placido,
Forbes.com,
29 July 2025
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In the museum description, Williams is specifically heralded for inspiring future generations of bold musicians like Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
26 July 2025
Verb
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On Wednesday, Germany’s Cabinet approved a draft 2026 budget that foresees a second consecutive year of record government investment in priorities such as modernizing transport infrastructure, building homes, security and digitization.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
30 July 2025
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Some projections foresee the state growing by 17 million new residents by 2050.—
Karoline Leonard,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adumbrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adumbrate. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
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