as in predicts
formal + literary
to be a sign or warning that something usually bad or unpleasant is going to happen
The distant thunder portended a storm. If you're superstitious, a black cat portends trouble.
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Recent Examples of portends
In other words, current prices still do not reflect the extent of shortages a prolonged conflict portends.
—
Rob Wile, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2026
The cacophony of drills and construction trucks outside Porte de Clichy Station portends a major public transit expansion, intended to benefit not just the city of Paris but the suburbs around it.
—Marie Patino, Bloomberg, 20 Mar. 2026
Iran’s stockpiling of missiles portends wars of attrition, like the current one, in which each side tries to wear the other down.
—Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
The county’s silence on this issue portends an ominous outcome for west Pompano, Deerfield Beach and Coconut Creek.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2026
Leonhard hasn’t divulged details, but adding outside linebackers coach Bobby April III portends a 3-4 base.
—Tim Graham, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Time will tell as to what the AI Basic Act truly portends.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Emerging research suggests that the spread of sports gambling portends a huge increase in gambling addiction, which has the highest rate of suicide of any addictive behavior.
—Jasper Craven, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
In Persian culture, the owl does not suggest wisdom; rather, its presence portends catastrophe.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
Rob Wile, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2026
The cacophony of drills and construction trucks outside Porte de Clichy Station portends a major public transit expansion, intended to benefit not just the city of Paris but the suburbs around it.
—Marie Patino, Bloomberg, 20 Mar. 2026
Iran’s stockpiling of missiles portends wars of attrition, like the current one, in which each side tries to wear the other down.
—Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2026
The county’s silence on this issue portends an ominous outcome for west Pompano, Deerfield Beach and Coconut Creek.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2026
Leonhard hasn’t divulged details, but adding outside linebackers coach Bobby April III portends a 3-4 base.
—Tim Graham, New York Times, 13 Feb. 2026
Time will tell as to what the AI Basic Act truly portends.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Emerging research suggests that the spread of sports gambling portends a huge increase in gambling addiction, which has the highest rate of suicide of any addictive behavior.
—Jasper Craven, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026
In Persian culture, the owl does not suggest wisdom; rather, its presence portends catastrophe.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portends
Verb
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With no apparent end to the Iran war in sight, GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan predicts a gallon of gas will keep rising.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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On Thursday, Oklahoma should have a break from severe weather, then on Friday, the National Weather Service predicts that severe thunderstorms are possible across mostly northern Oklahoma.—
Josh Kelly,
Oklahoman,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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With passionate fans, rising stars, and a city embracing the spotlight, March Madness in Sacramento is delivering exactly what its name promises.—
Conor McGill,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
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Cate Charron Most protests have a few speakers, call and response chants and marches, but Saturday afternoon's event promises a whole lot more.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Traders are hoping for a resolution in the Middle East, but hot oil prices are likely to be sticky – and that bodes well for Chord Energy, according to Morgan Stanley.—
Darla Mercado, CFP®,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
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The competition committee’s stated desire to play in the nation’s largest media markets seemingly bodes well for at least two of Texas’ tour stops.—
Brad Townsend,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Polls show voters favor Democrats by a wide margin and Trump’s approval is hovering around 40%, an abysmal level that usually presages major losses for the sitting president’s party.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
4 Mar. 2026
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Fatigue that presages a heart attack doesn’t subside with rest and is disruptive to daily activities.—
Nadine Avola,
Flow Space,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Although embedded in spectacle culture, these events occasionally presented the possibility of truly poetic clashes between languages and artistic traditions—what Glissant calls an éclat, collisions that create sparks of novelty.—
Daniel Birnbaum,
Artforum,
2 Apr. 2026
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The plan also calls for $31 million in additional spending for public education that would block cuts to magnet schools that could have led to tuition increases for the sending towns and potential cuts in health care for students in private schools.—
Christopher Keating,
Hartford Courant,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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From the Russian perspective, all of this lines up with Europe’s history and foretells its destiny.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
21 Jan. 2026
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The evidence foretells what’s in store for the future.—
Keiji Horikawa,
The Conversation,
22 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The broader picture augurs well for the Israeli home front.—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
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And that really augurs the potential for severe and prolonged enduring instability in this region.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Hester is a caustic yet irresistible narrator, and this evocation of her journey across America reads as both hate mail and love letter to a complex country.—
Gabrielle Bellot,
Literary Hub,
30 Mar. 2026
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Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil, stirring occasionally, until the temperature reads 250°F on a candy thermometer, about 5-8 minutes.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portends.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portends. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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