as in herald
one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another
her father's successful job interview was seen as a harbinger of better times to come
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to herald
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the hope that the housing slump does not harbinger a general economic recession
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harbinger
Sari Factor, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Trump’s return was widely seen as a harbinger of a second populist wave that would oust establishment figures all over the west.
—Stephen Collinson, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025
All from a 19-year-old MacKinnon vs. 20-year-old Andrei Vasilevskiy, a harbinger of future battles to come.
2015-16
Date: Nov. 14, 2015
Moment: Double Trouble
MacKinnon didn’t grow up a Canadiens fan like his idol, Sidney Crosby, but he's had some memorable moments at Bell Centre.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2025
Nevertheless, there is a fleeting moment that suggests Jacob might be open to answering the call of one harbinger of the future — a landline phone.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harbinger
Noun
The downward trend in proficiency, which preceded the pandemic, is a harbinger of the decline of America’s global competitiveness and economic power in the decades ahead.
—Sari Factor, Forbes.com, 31 Mar. 2025
Trump’s return was widely seen as a harbinger of a second populist wave that would oust establishment figures all over the west.
—Stephen Collinson, CNN, 15 Mar. 2025
All from a 19-year-old MacKinnon vs. 20-year-old Andrei Vasilevskiy, a harbinger of future battles to come.
2015-16
Date: Nov. 14, 2015
Moment: Double Trouble
MacKinnon didn’t grow up a Canadiens fan like his idol, Sidney Crosby, but he's had some memorable moments at Bell Centre.
—Corey Masisak, The Denver Post, 10 Mar. 2025
Nevertheless, there is a fleeting moment that suggests Jacob might be open to answering the call of one harbinger of the future — a landline phone.
—Hunter Ingram, Variety, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for harbinger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harbinger
Noun
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The authors of the Yale study sincerely see themselves as heralds of empirical science, whatever the political ramifications.—
Michael Hiltzik,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2025
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This sleek argent-toned agent was once Norrin Radd, a historian from the planet Zenn-La who signed up to be Galactus’ herald to spare his homeworld from an unthinkable fate.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
12 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The intentionally half-baked approach to Season 2 foreshadows an overstuffed and potentially controversial third season, the emotional effect of which will be dulled by the likely long hiatus (Season 1 premiered in January 2023).—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
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What Will Happen Next? Zuckerberg may have foreshadowed the endgame about seven years ago – divesting Instagram and possibly WhatsApp.—
Peter Cohan,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Yet this brand of Christian Zionism is clearly the forerunner to today’s – and holds sway in Washington.—
Shalom Goldman,
The Conversation,
2 Apr. 2025
-
The title is an apt, if sort of obvious, introduction to Turner, who has been hailed as the forerunner to modern art.—
Tessa Solomon,
ARTnews.com,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Imagine walking into a meeting where one project manager is using AI to automate reporting, predict risks, and optimize resources in real-time, while another is still relying on manual tracking and outdated tools.—
Chris Gallagher,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
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Models predict that most meteorites – over half – should also be carbonaceous.—
Patrick M. Shober,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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CSAs have often been precursors to broader agreements among countries.—
Ngaire Woods,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Many people at Saturday’s protest worried that the ruling could be the precursor to other judgments that diminish the rights of transgender people.—
Kwiyeon Ha and Pan Pylas,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2025
Verb
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That target implies a 14.2% decrease from Apple’s latest close.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
14 Apr. 2025
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Gentry implied that the growth sprang largely from American unexpectedly adding flights, which the airport is contractually obliged to accommodate, The Ledger reported.—
Ted Reed,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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And where the signs of new beginnings are evident everywhere.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2025
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Dark Cherry Getty Images Getty Images Cherry cola hair has been on the come-up since fall 2023, and the trend—or some version of dark cherry or burgundy hair—shows no signs of slowing down in 2025.—
Avery Stone,
Allure,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The widescreen, 35mm format prefigured IMAX and other high-density imagery in a way that still stuns on screen.—
John Wenzel,
The Denver Post,
31 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
Cite this Entry
“Harbinger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harbinger. Accessed 25 Apr. 2025.
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