as in to loom
to be about to happen
for confirmed pessimists some disaster always seems to be impending
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Recent Examples of impend
To make matters worse, six of the nine defensive linemen who played this season are impending free agents.
—
Josh Kendall, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
In addition to a new defensive coordinator, the Jets have 23 players who are impending free agents, including running back Breece Hall, guard John Simpson, and linebacker Quincy Williams.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
These days, the film industry is racked with anxiety about impending corporate mergers, uneven box-office returns, the rise of artificial intelligence and other nail-biting twists.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 24 Dec. 2025
The same applies to impending holiday bonuses.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impend
Josh Kendall, New York Times, 30 Jan. 2026
In addition to a new defensive coordinator, the Jets have 23 players who are impending free agents, including running back Breece Hall, guard John Simpson, and linebacker Quincy Williams.
—Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 4 Jan. 2026
These days, the film industry is racked with anxiety about impending corporate mergers, uneven box-office returns, the rise of artificial intelligence and other nail-biting twists.
—Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 24 Dec. 2025
The same applies to impending holiday bonuses.
—Lisa Stardust, Refinery29, 18 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impend
Recent Examples of Synonyms for impend
Verb
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Savannah urged anyone with information to come forward as investigators worked against a looming deadline outlined in the note, which authorities have not publicly authenticated.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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For residents, timing is even more critical as a deadline looms.—
Lana Ferguson,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This divergence is often the first tell that the dominant bearish trend is losing steam and a reversal is brewing.—
Nishant Pant,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
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Stirring the coffee with this little guy before brewing evens out the texture throughout the basket for a consistent brew.—
Noah Kaufman,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Impend.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/impend. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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