1
as in forerunner
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
a red sky in the morning can be a portent of a coming storm
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2
as in miracle
something extraordinary or surprising
a scout was sent to have a look at this teenage pitcher who was supposed to be the latest portent of the baseball world
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of portent
By the end of 1857, no one knew the crack-up of the Union was coming in three years, or that the nation would be in a civil war in four, but the portents were bleak.
—
Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
If that is the case, the Ring Nebula could be a portent of what awaits Earth in around 5 billion years when the sun runs out of fuel for nuclear fusion and puffs out to become a red giant.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Carol’s favorite, Bella Donna, does not carry the same dark portents.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
But with the hindsight of the 2025 campaign, it is filled with signifiers, the emergence from the TV to dazzle the local villagers a portent of a savvy politician who got elected by stepping away from the screen to meet physically with voters.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portent
Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026
If that is the case, the Ring Nebula could be a portent of what awaits Earth in around 5 billion years when the sun runs out of fuel for nuclear fusion and puffs out to become a red giant.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Carol’s favorite, Bella Donna, does not carry the same dark portents.
—Scott Tobias, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
But with the hindsight of the 2025 campaign, it is filled with signifiers, the emergence from the TV to dazzle the local villagers a portent of a savvy politician who got elected by stepping away from the screen to meet physically with voters.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portent
Noun
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The camp is a program of the Woodcraft Rangers, founded by author and naturalist Ernest Thompson Seton, whose pioneering Woodcraft Rangers program was a forerunner to groups such as the Boy Scouts.—
Jessie Dax-Setkus,
Oc Register,
22 Mar. 2026
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The Norwegian ended his season before the Olympics to further recover from a shoulder injury, but attended the finals as one of the forerunners, who test a course shortly before a race starts.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
22 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Today, there's writing on the wall outside, proclaiming the miracle of Ho Khanh.—
Nicole Young,
CBS News,
29 Mar. 2026
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But the miracle that happened in New England two centuries ago now is in China.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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On the other hand, all these omens popping up so early in the season is an indication there are further twists to come.—
Alison Herman,
Variety,
26 Mar. 2026
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Myths, legends and horror films have turned it into an omen of bad luck.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The girl everyone thought Vlasis was, is the pop-star Madonna who at the time was emerging as a major Hollywood It-girl, and would later become a cultural phenomenon that defined the 80s and 90s.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
27 Mar. 2026
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And unlike some of their peers, McDonald and Loggins have both embraced yacht rock as a genre phenomenon, even appearing in a recent documentary on the subject for HBO.—
Devon Ivie,
Vulture,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Such engravings, which depict the wackily maximalist style à la mode, including oodles of feathers and furbelows, were, in essence, early precursors to modern fashion magazines.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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Tantric yoga is obviously meant to be the precursor to intimate relations.—
Emily Tannenbaum,
Glamour,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Except someone did eventually hear it—the good folks at Freedom to Spend, known for reissuing all kinds of wonders from the experimental past, who took it upon themselves to sort through all 1200 tapes submitted to the ND zine over the course of its run before landing upon Larrison’s.—
Sam Goldner,
Pitchfork,
2 Apr. 2026
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Poor Landscaping Good landscaping can truly work wonders, while overgrown plants will immediately give off a chaotic look and detract from the architectural features on the exterior of your home, according to Farnan.—
Sarah Lyon,
The Spruce,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The opening week of an MLB season doesn’t typically provide foreshadowing for a 162-game season.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
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That was probably apt enough foreshadowing for what was to come.—
Piet Levy,
jsonline.com,
28 Mar. 2026
Noun
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However, these early quartz marvels had a couple of drawbacks.—
David Szondy
March 28,
New Atlas,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Riekenberg marvels at what Jimenez did in that victory.—
Steve Fryer,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Portent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portent. Accessed 3 Apr. 2026.
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