as in forerunner
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
the preaching of John the Baptist is generally regarded by Christians as a prefiguring of the ministry of Jesus
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in foreshadowing
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the first crocus traditionally prefigures the arrival of spring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefiguring
Noun
-
The forerunner of British Invasion took the summit of American entertainment, which was a huge deal across generations.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
30 Jan. 2026 -
Manufactured between 1960 and 1980, Scouts were beefy 4x4s and a forerunner to the SUV.—
Justin Wingerter,
Denver Post,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Francesca is visibly flustered in Michaela’s presence, foreshadowing a future connection.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Their Greatest Hits also holds another unique place in popular music history as the first record to receive an RIAA platinum certification in 1976, foreshadowing its status in 2026.—
Prof. Mike Alleyne Ph.D,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Commercial prediction markets have resisted efforts by states to classify and regulate them as gambling companies, insisting that they — like their precursor in Iowa — should be overseen by federal regulators.—
Suzy Khimm,
NBC news,
13 Feb. 2026
-
There’s a direct line from Licklider’s work to ARPANET, a precursor to the internet and World Wide Web, through the work of Robert Taylor, Doug Engelbart, Ted Nelson, and Tim Berners-Lee.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
In Birmingham this July, a series of events heralding the Invictus Games' one-year countdown will take place.—
Simon Perry,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
-
Many Democratic leaders are also heralding a tax hike on high earners in Massachusetts as proof that the wealthy won't flee.—
Robert Frank,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The company is facing similar litigation in Nevada — and while the injunction is only temporary, and focuses on sports betting, the legal action presages the broader efforts by states to protect the lucrative revenue gambling brings in.—
Rohan Goswami,
semafor.com,
22 Jan. 2026
-
For Swain, the rise of directs presages nothing less than a revolution in the world’s financial markets.—
Shawn Tully,
Fortune,
1 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
If that is the case, the Ring Nebula could be a portent of what awaits Earth in around 5 billion years when the sun runs out of fuel for nuclear fusion and puffs out to become a red giant.—
Robert Lea,
Space.com,
19 Jan. 2026
-
Carol’s favorite, Bella Donna, does not carry the same dark portents.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
This was broadly in line with what polls had suggested, with Nikkei and Asahi Shimbun predicting that the LDP and its coalition partner, the Japan Innovation Party would secure more then 300 seats in the Lower House.—
CNBC.com staff,
CNBC,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The article also studied potential predicting factors of long-term concussion symptoms.—
Jillian Pretzel,
Parents,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
There are some hints that weighted blankets can help with anxiety, chronic pain and sleep.—
Adithi Ramakrishnan,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
-
At song’s end, the camera moved over to big-screen photos of the late Charlie Kirk and his widow, Erika Kirk, who is now in charge of TPUSA, followed by a fade to darkness and closing credit that still did not offer many hints where the performance was taking place.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
9 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Prefiguring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefiguring. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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