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
Relevance
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
Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
From Chipper Jones in 1999 to Edwin Encarnación in 2013, Dotel was a harbinger of what pitching has become.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
That price crash was a harbinger of deep economic pain.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Conversely, on Yellowjackets, the first snow of the year is a harbinger of doom.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harbinger
Noun
An eight-game losing streak in the first month of 2022 was a harbinger of what was in store for Tony La Russa’s final season as Sox manager.
—Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 13 Apr. 2025
From Chipper Jones in 1999 to Edwin Encarnación in 2013, Dotel was a harbinger of what pitching has become.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 9 Apr. 2025
That price crash was a harbinger of deep economic pain.
—Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Conversely, on Yellowjackets, the first snow of the year is a harbinger of doom.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 4 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harbinger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harbinger
Noun
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In some alternate realities, both Norrin Radd and Shalla-Bal have served as heralds of Galactus.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
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The authors of the Yale study sincerely see themselves as heralds of empirical science, whatever the political ramifications.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The intentionally half-baked approach to Season 2 foreshadows an overstuffed and potentially controversial third season, the emotional effect of which will be dulled by the likely long hiatus (Season 1 premiered in January 2023).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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What Will Happen Next? Zuckerberg may have foreshadowed the endgame about seven years ago – divesting Instagram and possibly WhatsApp.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Indeed, VistaVision was the forerunner of IMAX 65mm, with its horizontal orientation.—
Bill Desowitz,
IndieWire,
21 Apr. 2025
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The company plans to recreate the mammoth, dodo, and Tasmanian tiger, or thylacine, by editing the genome of each species’ closest living relative to make a hybrid animal that would be visually indistinguishable from its extinct forerunner.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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No one predicted that diminutive quarterback Dillon Gabriel would go in the top 100 picks, but the Browns selected the Oregon passer at No. 94 Friday night.—
Zac Jackson,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
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Analysts predict earnings of $0.72 per share with sales of $11.17 billion for the forthcoming report, compared to sales of $11.23 billion and earnings of $0.72 per share for the same quarter the previous year.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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CSAs have often been precursors to broader agreements among countries.—
Ngaire Woods,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
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Many people at Saturday’s protest worried that the ruling could be the precursor to other judgments that diminish the rights of transgender people.—
Kwiyeon Ha and Pan Pylas,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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These stories imply that this person did this remarkable thing, so anyone else can do it, too.—
Dmitry Malin,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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That same year, István Hegedűs, a former politician who had served in parliament alongside Orbán, read an article in a pro-Fidesz newspaper which implied that only the Party’s generosity enabled C.E.U. to stay in Budapest.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Additionally, self-care can sometimes be a sign of confidence and longevity, rather than simply personal maintenance.—
Rhiannon Frater,
USA Today,
30 Apr. 2025
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Suggested Reading Big Tech's moment of truth is here There's a sign the restaurant recession is already here Amazon says its Temu competitor 'considered' showing tariff charges that raised White House ire Consumers continued to be in a dour mood over the past month.—
Kevin Williams,
Quartz,
29 Apr. 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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It is also prefigured (another Biblical device) by Pharaoh’s order, in Exodus, to kill all male babies born to Hebrew mothers.—
Louis Menand,
The New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Harbinger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harbinger. Accessed 2 May. 2025.
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