as in to foreshadow
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the first crocus traditionally prefigures the arrival of spring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prefigure
These opulent volumes prefigure the label’s high jewelry offering.
—
Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2025
Your 2018 book, The Lies That Bind, seems to have prefigured the backlash against a certain way of talking about identity—as essential or at least fixed—that was prevalent in the 2010s.
—Lula Konner, The New York Review of Books, 4 Oct. 2025
And another is how aspects of our future may be prefigured in the desert’s past.
—Literary Hub, 3 Oct. 2025
By Bruce Schoenfeld The Comedian Who Anticipated Our Reality-Bent World
A new documentary shows how Andy Kaufman’s upside-down world of anti-comedy prefigured our own.
—Nicholas Casey Bruce Schoenfeld Jonah Weiner David Marchese Charles Homans Amy X. Wang Joshua Dubler Kwame Anthony Appiah Ligaya Mishan John Hodgman, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prefigure
Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 10 Oct. 2025
Your 2018 book, The Lies That Bind, seems to have prefigured the backlash against a certain way of talking about identity—as essential or at least fixed—that was prevalent in the 2010s.
—Lula Konner, The New York Review of Books, 4 Oct. 2025
And another is how aspects of our future may be prefigured in the desert’s past.
—Literary Hub, 3 Oct. 2025
By Bruce Schoenfeld The Comedian Who Anticipated Our Reality-Bent World
A new documentary shows how Andy Kaufman’s upside-down world of anti-comedy prefigured our own.
—Nicholas Casey Bruce Schoenfeld Jonah Weiner David Marchese Charles Homans Amy X. Wang Joshua Dubler Kwame Anthony Appiah Ligaya Mishan John Hodgman, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prefigure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefigure
Verb
-
But given the massive investments well over 150 public companies have made in Bitcoin, the token’s recent downturn could indeed foreshadow difficult days ahead as investors desperately try to cut their losses.—
Victor Tangermann,
Futurism,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The Bryce Huff trade in the 2025 offseason foreshadowed the shortfall at edge rusher that led to the midseason acquisition of Jaelan Phillips.—
Brooks Kubena,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Longitudinal studies across diverse populations will be needed to assess whether shifts in the oral microbiome can predict future weight gain, insulin resistance, or cardiometabolic decline, and perhaps most excitingly, whether modifying one's oral ecosystem alters systemic metabolic markers.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Huntington predicted that a new conflict would rage after the demise of Communism.—
Josef Joffe,
The Atlantic,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Seattle is currently +800 (8-to-1) to win a second straight title, implying a roughly 11 percent chance of a repeat.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
-
The bank's forecast implies upside of 98% from Friday's close.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In Qatar four years ago, Ronaldo not starting that tie against Switzerland seemed to herald the end of his international career.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
7 Feb. 2026
-
There are also celebrations heralding the Year of the Horse in Fountain Valley and Santa Ana on Saturday.—
Heather McRea,
Oc Register,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Indeed, so anticipated was Vonn’s race that the IOC rescheduled its daily media briefing with reporters to avoid conflicting with the women’s downhill.—
Sara Germano,
Sportico.com,
8 Feb. 2026
-
While anticipated, the cutbacks were deeper than expected, resulting in the shutdown of the Post’s renowned sports section, the elimination of its photography staff and sharp reductions in personnel responsible for coverage of metropolitan Washington and overseas.—
David Bauder,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Prefigure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefigure. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
