herald 1 of 2

herald

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word herald distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of herald are forerunner, harbinger, and precursor. While all these words mean "one that goes before or announces the coming of another," harbinger and herald both apply, chiefly figuratively, to one that proclaims or announces the coming or arrival of a notable event.

their early victory was the harbinger of a winning season
the herald of a new age in medicine

In what contexts can forerunner take the place of herald?

Although the words forerunner and herald have much in common, forerunner is applicable to anything that serves as a sign or presage.

the blockade was the forerunner of war

When is it sensible to use precursor instead of herald?

While in some cases nearly identical to herald, precursor applies to a person or thing paving the way for the success or accomplishment of another.

18th century poets like Burns were precursors of the Romantics

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of herald
Noun
But the odds can be predictive of what to expect and a way to get invested in games that matter primarily as heralds of what is to come. Hannah Vanbiber, The Athletic, 8 Aug. 2024 If Wired of the 2010s was the cheerful herald of a shiny, happy future (not a judgment!), this piece is its indignant child, pointing accusingly at the mess. Longreads, 20 Dec. 2024
Verb
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has made a series of policy moves heralding a more cooperative stance toward Russia, traditionally considered a key geopolitical foe of the West. Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 11 Mar. 2025 The Trump administration has been eager to herald a verifiable security achievement of its first full month in office: reducing unlawful crossings at the Mexican border to just 8,326, the lowest level in two decades. David Catanese, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for herald
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herald
Noun
  • In the 1980s and 1990s, tobacco taxes actually declined in real terms, even as congressional advocates repeatedly pushed for increases, according to Brandt.
    Simar Bajaj / Made by History, TIME, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Palmer was an early advocate for girls’ athletics, but her attitudes were still of their time.
    Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The dinner was a harbinger of an announcement that led many to self-identify as a military wife: BTS is now on a three-year hiatus to complete mandatory service.
    Zoe Guy, Vulture, 1 Mar. 2025
  • Especially after a long, cold winter, these fruits and vegetables are a refreshing sight—and are harbingers of the bounty to come for the next several months.
    Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The New York Yankees’ worst nightmare has come true, though there were certainly signs that foreshadowed their most devastating injury yet this spring.
    Gary Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2025
  • The women's conference tournament foreshadowed a chaotic (but oh-so-good) March Madness.
    Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • In 2015, Kobe Bryant announced his retirement in The Players’ Tribune.
    Doug Haller, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
  • As prices slumped, Lutnick spoke to the media to clarify that bitcoin would have a unique status in the reserve once it was formally announced.
    Allison Morrow, CNN, 13 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • Apple has long been a vocal proponent of the sanctity of its users’ personal data.
    Ewan Spence, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
  • George Fishman, senior legal fellow at the conservative Center of Immigration Studies and former deputy general counsel at Department of Homeland Security during the first Trump administration, has been a strong proponent of the act.
    Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 15 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The notable feature of this particular death factory was its use of gas vans, a forerunner to the larger, more impersonal gas chambers built at Auschwitz-Birkenau, Belzec, Sobibor, and Treblinka.
    Josh Weiss, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
  • In 1914, Frank Newman opened the Royal Theatre which was a forerunner to movie palaces in the city, a significant departure from nickelodeons.
    Michael Wells, Kansas City Star, 28 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • Over the winter, The Athletic predicted a 2-year, $26 million deal for Verdugo.
    Dan Freedman, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The president has falsely proclaimed an invasion and predatory incursion to use a law written for wartime for peacetime immigration enforcement.
    Mark Davis, Newsweek, 16 Mar. 2025
  • For those who proclaim that everything needs to be made in America, this final journey likely symbolizes the end of a (perhaps) bygone era.
    Rick Helfenbein, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Herald.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herald. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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