as in to anticipate
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the strife in Bloody Kansas in the 1850s adumbrated the civil war that would follow
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Recent Examples of adumbrate
In between, works by contemporaries complicate superficial ideas about his meteoric genius, and small, delicate drawings teem with an abundance of ideas — paintings never made, thoughts adumbrated then abandoned.
—
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2019
Nothing in America’s tepid 19th-century contributions to European classical music adumbrated it; nor did the homely and sometimes hokey popular songs of Stephen Foster.
—Heather Mac Donald, National Review, 22 Aug. 2019
The helicopter crash, on the other hand, is a narrative dead end, merely adumbrating the portrait that Mr. Davenport will draw of Mr. Bezos as unflappable.
—Randall Stross, WSJ, 15 Apr. 2018
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2019
Nothing in America’s tepid 19th-century contributions to European classical music adumbrated it; nor did the homely and sometimes hokey popular songs of Stephen Foster.
—Heather Mac Donald, National Review, 22 Aug. 2019
The helicopter crash, on the other hand, is a narrative dead end, merely adumbrating the portrait that Mr. Davenport will draw of Mr. Bezos as unflappable.
—Randall Stross, WSJ, 15 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adumbrate
Verb
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If boundaries are the weak point, anticipate ways to stave off interruptions – for example, hanging a Do Not Disturb sign on your cubicle.—
Caroline Ceniza-Levine,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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Analysts anticipate that Klarna's buy now, pay later integration into DoorDash could serve as a test case for further adoption in the on-demand economy.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The federal government’s gross national debt has surpassed $34 trillion, a record high that foreshadows the coming political and economic challenges to improve America’s balance sheet in the coming years.—
Gary Franks,
Hartford Courant,
21 Mar. 2025
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Regardless, there’s a lot of guessing right now about whether Zeldin’s tweet foreshadows further federal action.—
Michael Smolens,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
14 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Over the winter, The Athletic predicted a 2-year, $26 million deal for Verdugo.—
Dan Freedman,
Forbes,
21 Mar. 2025
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The National Park Service, which tracks the blooming of the trees each year, predicts peak bloom will be between March 28 and 31 this year.—
Nicole Brown Chau,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Cromwell is at the peak of his power, but the opening shot of Anne on her way to her death prefigures his own fall at the hands of the capricious royal.—
Roslyn Sulcas,
New York Times,
21 Mar. 2025
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And then: How Democrats lost their way on immigration Elon Musk’s war on federal employees is bad math The mystery novel that prefigured the L.A. wildfires Mikey Madison.—
Erin Neil,
The New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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This implies a very strong Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.3% (vs. 19.0% for S&P 500).—
Trefis Team,
Forbes,
23 Mar. 2025
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The administration decision implies that any steps paroled migrants take to adjust their immigration status after publication of the notice on Tuesday would not be deemed as protection against deportation.—
Jacqueline Charles,
Miami Herald,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Dalman, 26, just reached the end of his rookie contract with the Atlanta Falcons and is heralded as a smart, steady lineman who can be an asset as a run blocker.—
Sean Hammond,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Mar. 2025
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But investing less than 2% of GDP now could eliminate most of those losses, according to a report from Boston Consulting Group and the University of Cambridge (Forbes) Membrane could herald more sustainable lithium extraction.—
Alan Ohnsman,
Forbes,
17 Mar. 2025
Verb
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When asked about their personal financial outlook in retirement, 22 percent of millennials foresee a decline in their retirement finances, and 26 percent expect no change.—
Josh Hammer,
Newsweek,
19 Mar. 2025
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When Natalia Grace was adopted from Ukraine into the Barnett family as a six-year-old child, no one could have foreseen that the situation would devolve into something that spurred court battles, criminal charges, and multiple documentaries and shows.—
Fortesa Latifi,
Rolling Stone,
19 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adumbrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adumbrate. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.
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