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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An attack on trans people’s identification documents in the early hours of Trump’s new term had been widely anticipated.—
Nico Lang,
Them,
20 Jan. 2025
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Withdrawal from the agreement was anticipated to be among Trump’s first actions in office, which are expected to focus in large part on energy and environmental policy.—
Zack Budryk,
The Hill,
20 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Shortly thereafter, Biden pardoned five of his family members, including his brother James, a move that was foreshadowed in the weeks before leaving office.—
Kaelan Deese,
Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government,
20 Jan. 2025
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Not to foreshadow the end of Dellinger, but there was this great message that the enlightened are not welcome here.—
Abbey White,
The Hollywood Reporter,
18 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Few could have predicted the lineup of artists chosen to perform, but Snoop Dogg, Nelly, Soulja Boy, and Rick Ross—four figures deeply ingrained in the fabric of hip-hop—are in the number of artists slated to perform to mark this controversial moment in history.—
Shelby Stewart,
Essence,
20 Jan. 2025
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For decades, theorists favored this mass range because several simple extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics predicted the existence of such particles.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
20 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The Page Act prefigured the near-total ban on Chinese immigration to the U.S. seven years later, with the Exclusion Act of 1882—the country’s first federal law to restrict a group on the basis of race.—
Jane Hu,
The New Yorker,
23 Jan. 2025
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It is also prefigured (another Biblical device) by Pharaoh’s order, in Exodus, to kill all male babies born to Hebrew mothers.—
Louis Menand,
The New Yorker,
13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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As its name implies, the flattering silhouette has a low waistline.—
Isabel Garcia,
People.com,
22 Jan. 2025
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The average price target on shares implies just 3.7% upside ahead.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
21 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The Return was heralded as one of the best shows of the year, and certain journals like Cahiers du cinéma and Sight & Sound considered it among the best films of 2017 despite its length.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
16 Jan. 2025
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The two men were heralded by Democrats as patriots for speaking out and derided by Trump as insubordinate.—
Aamer Madhani and Zeke Miller,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Jan. 2025
Verb
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This familiarity enables them to make informed decisions, foresee obstacles, and craft solutions that are uniquely suited to your organization.—
Don Yaeger,
Forbes,
21 Jan. 2025
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The chaos and fear that would soon unfold couldn't be foreseen at the time, but would mark the start of a period marked by uncertainty and public health transformation.—
Sam Woodward,
USA TODAY,
20 Jan. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Adumbrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adumbrate. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
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