1
as in forerunner
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
a red sky in the morning can be a portent of a coming storm
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in miracle
something extraordinary or surprising
a scout was sent to have a look at this teenage pitcher who was supposed to be the latest portent of the baseball world
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of portent
History says such a two-year performance in itself is neither a scary portent nor a ticket to further riches.
—
Michael Santoli, CNBC, 14 Dec. 2024
Monday’s bombing is the latest sign of Russia’s worsening terrorism problem, as well as a portent of things to come.
—Ilan Berman, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2017
Cleveland scored on the very next play, the portent of a wild night to come.
2.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 2 Dec. 2024
Its peaceful stillness and silence can become desolation, and its beautiful bleakness a portent of doom.
—Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for portent 
Michael Santoli, CNBC, 14 Dec. 2024
Monday’s bombing is the latest sign of Russia’s worsening terrorism problem, as well as a portent of things to come.
—Ilan Berman, Foreign Affairs, 5 Apr. 2017
Cleveland scored on the very next play, the portent of a wild night to come.
2.
—Sean Keeler, The Denver Post, 2 Dec. 2024
Its peaceful stillness and silence can become desolation, and its beautiful bleakness a portent of doom.
—Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 22 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for portent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portent
Noun
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Three years before the convention, the Nixon administration had presented a draft treaty that proposed a forerunner to the International Seabed Authority: an agency established by the Law of the Sea that would collect royalties from underwater resources and distribute them to the developing world.—
Jack Truesdale,
The Atlantic,
25 Jan. 2025
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According to Hall, Minute Man was a forerunner in a number of fast-food concepts.—
Mike Keckhaver),
arkansasonline.com,
11 Jan. 2025
Noun
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But the ascent of Mr. Boko, a charismatic orator with a flair for promising to defend the downtrodden, reveals the cracks in Botswana’s miracle rags-to-riches story.—
Keletso Thobega,
The Christian Science Monitor,
30 Jan. 2025
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Another jokingly compared these offerings to the miracle of the loaves and fishes.—
M. R. O’Connor,
The New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Throughout most of human history, many cultures have thought such phenomena were ill omens caused by supernatural beings.—
Emily Matchar,
Smithsonian Magazine,
27 Jan. 2025
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In some cultures, they were feared as omens of bad luck or even linked to witchcraft.—
Michael Gfoeller And David H. Rundell,
Newsweek,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Since its release, the series has amassed millions of views and impressions across social media platforms like TikTok and X, drawn in thousands of daily listeners, and emerged as a cultural and audio industry phenomenon.—
Katcy Stephan,
Variety,
30 Jan. 2025
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The Tipping Point really became a cultural phenomenon.—
H. Alan Scott,
Newsweek,
30 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Starring Andre Braugher, Yaphet Kotto and Melissa Leo, Homicide ran for more than 100 episodes and seven seasons in the 1990s and is considered by many to be a precursor to Simon’s The Wire.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
28 Jan. 2025
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This track is a precursor to a series of new releases planned for early 2025, signaling a year of growth and exploration for Sanders.—
Ethan Stone,
USA TODAY,
28 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The Rupununi Savannah in the country’s south is another ecological wonder, with jaguars, giant anteaters, and 10-foot-wide lily pads.—
Becca Blond,
AFAR Media,
5 Feb. 2025
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Travel + Leisure recently compiled a list of the 20 most beautiful places to visit in Arizona, a list that includes national parks, technological wonders and one very unusual restaurant.—
Jackie Burrell,
The Mercury News,
3 Feb. 2025
Noun
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And because every number is loaded with callbacks and foreshadowings, both musically and lyrically, the rangy story is tied into a very tight thematic bundle.—
Jesse Green,
New York Times,
20 Dec. 2024
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Dillon had returned from a five-week COVID-19 absence not long prior, and that breakout game appeared to be a foreshadowing of dominant performances to come.—
Matt Schneidman,
The Athletic,
5 Aug. 2024
Noun
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Related Articles With undulating walls that resemble stage curtains and a rooftop garden, the architectural marvel is meant to be an ode to the love of oneself, love of others, and love of nature, according to the organizer.—
Denni Hu,
WWD,
5 Feb. 2025
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In this pioneering work of scholarship, Diana Darke strives to give credit to the Muslim artisans who produced these architectural marvels.—
Staff,
The Christian Science Monitor,
10 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near portent
Cite this Entry
“Portent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portent. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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