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
-
Williams had managed traditional Tex-Mex restaurants that were the forerunner of today’s Mercado Juarez Cafes.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026 -
The camp is a program of the Woodcraft Rangers, founded by author and naturalist Ernest Thompson Seton, whose pioneering Woodcraft Rangers program was a forerunner to groups such as the Boy Scouts.—
Jessie Dax-Setkus,
Oc Register,
22 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But the right-hander rebounded by striking out the next three hitters, foreshadowing what turned out to be a historic outing.—
PJ Green,
Kansas City Star,
27 Mar. 2026
-
So far, neither side is showing signs of backing down, foreshadowing a fight that could take years.—
Andy Mannix,
ProPublica,
25 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
In March, state media reported that China arrested seven people in an operation targeting traffickers of fentanyl precursors, according to the Reuters news agency.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The mission is a precursor to future Artemis launches that will rehearse rendezvous and docking maneuvers with the program's lunar landers, and eventually land astronauts on the lunar surface.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With warmer weather heralding spring, the amount of outdoor activities significantly increases.—
Lesly Gregory,
AJC.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
The Dodgers brought in a live trumpet player to play Diaz’s signature entrance music, heralding the first save situation for the Dodgers’ new closer.—
Bill Plunkett,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 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
-
Somewhere in there was portent.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Mar. 2026
-
This was only a portent of things to come — the protests were dwarfed by massive protests and riots against the regime in September 2022-2023, then the largest protests in December 2025 to January 2026.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD) released its latest forecast for the mosquito season, predicting a slow start before a spike in early July.—
Ashley Grams,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Jackie made lots and lots of money predicting the weather, erecting things, or playing the numbers.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The air smells damp and jungly (in the best possible way) and is sweetened with a hint of frangipani.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Researchers are now exploring Greenland shark genetics for clues about aging, finding hints of enhanced DNA repair and cellular maintenance that could slow aging at a fundamental level.—
Samantha Agate,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Prefiguring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefiguring. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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