as in to foreshadow
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the first crocus traditionally prefigures the arrival of spring
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Recent Examples of prefigure
The film, with a screenplay by Buck Henry, is a biting satire of the American tabloid mentality and in some ways prefigures the contemporary reality-show mind-set of fame at whatever cost.
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Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2024
But the unleashing of ethnic nationalisms amid imperial collapse and global conflict saw the genocidal massacre of Armenians and prefigured the new republic.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024
Kremlin authorities seized on Macron’s remarks, arguing that NATO troops in Ukraine would prefigure a direct armed confrontation with Russia.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
Some people think of Sutherland as the ‘godfather of computer graphics’ – and with good reason, given that his Sketchpad application prefigured the AutoCAD tools so useful in drafting and designing today.
—John Werner, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prefigure 
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2024
But the unleashing of ethnic nationalisms amid imperial collapse and global conflict saw the genocidal massacre of Armenians and prefigured the new republic.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024
Kremlin authorities seized on Macron’s remarks, arguing that NATO troops in Ukraine would prefigure a direct armed confrontation with Russia.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
Some people think of Sutherland as the ‘godfather of computer graphics’ – and with good reason, given that his Sketchpad application prefigured the AutoCAD tools so useful in drafting and designing today.
—John Werner, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prefigure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefigure
Verb
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There are things from her childhood that foreshadowed her gift for writing.Pam Windsor, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
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There’s another part of the movie that could foreshadow a Kraven-Spidey showdown.James Grebey, TIME, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
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And then — just as my colleague Joe Reid predicted — Kate Winslet for Lee, a biopic that has enjoyed a muted reception since debuting at last year’s TIFF.Jen Chaney, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2024
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Ampere predicted just under a third of the subs growth will come from APAC – numbering around 600 million people – a similar figure to North America.Max Goldbart, Deadline, 9 Dec. 2024
Verb
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While the firm has a 2025 year-end price target of 6,600 for the S & P 500 , implying upside of 9% from Tuesday’s close, Johnson expects the small-cap Russell will outpace that clip.Brian Evans, CNBC, 11 Dec. 2024
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Grief has been called a journey, but a journey implies an endpoint.Nancy Borowick, NPR, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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And with Europe's two largest economies already spluttering, the new year may herald a new era for both the European Union and the United States.Willem Marx, NPR, 5 Dec. 2024
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After an analysis from the libertarian think tank Cato Institute showed the number of au pairs arriving in the Bay State dropped nearly 70% between 2019 and 2022, the state has been heralded as an example of how drastic wage increases could curtail the program.Bailey Schulz, USA TODAY, 4 Dec. 2024
Verb
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By the end of this year, Dollar General anticipates these efforts will result in year-over-year reductions in delivery miles of approximately 4 percent or greater in both the company’s traditional and grocery supply chains.Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 9 Dec. 2024
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The company anticipates that about 30% of its revenue will come from overseas markets in the near future.New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near prefigure
Cite this Entry
“Prefigure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefigure. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
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