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
And the portents were not just in Henderson’s and Nuzzo’s paper.
—
David Zweig, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025
Matthew stresses royalty, prefacing the birth with heavenly portents; afterward, Magi bear royal gifts to a future king.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025
But the attacks could have been interpreted very differently: as a horrific case of blowback and a portent of resistance to U.S. hegemony.
—Stephen Wertheim, Foreign Affairs, 17 Mar. 2023
Weinstein’s thuggish joke was just one portent of the edgy, borderline sinister air that permeated the party from the very beginning.
—Scott Huver, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portent
David Zweig, The Atlantic, 17 Apr. 2025
Matthew stresses royalty, prefacing the birth with heavenly portents; afterward, Magi bear royal gifts to a future king.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2025
But the attacks could have been interpreted very differently: as a horrific case of blowback and a portent of resistance to U.S. hegemony.
—Stephen Wertheim, Foreign Affairs, 17 Mar. 2023
Weinstein’s thuggish joke was just one portent of the edgy, borderline sinister air that permeated the party from the very beginning.
—Scott Huver, The Hollywood Reporter, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portent
Noun
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Military training was also a non-starter, since the U.S. Army Air Service (a forerunner to the Air Force) did not accept women.—
Victor Luckerson,
Smithsonian Magazine,
13 May 2025
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It has been said that Nomad was the forerunner of all modern station wagons.—
David Krumboltz,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Within four minutes, Gerrard is talking about the miracle of Istanbul.—
Pablo Maurer,
New York Times,
1 June 2025
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After the miracle of getting his wife back mid-series from Gilead, The Handmaid’s Tale ended with their daughter Hannah (Jordana Blake) remaining in captivity, setting up sequel series The Testaments, which is currently in production.—
Jackie Strause,
HollywoodReporter,
30 May 2025
Noun
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Such spectral doppelgängers stalk the living as grim omens of impending death.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
22 May 2025
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Studios could all use that sort of good news, and good omens for the rest of summer movie season.—
Mark Hughes,
Forbes.com,
26 Apr. 2025
Noun
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The highest chance to see the phenomenon is forecast throughout northern Canada and Alaska.—
Ty Roush,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
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In 2020, Miranda reflected on the Hamilton phenomenon in an interview with Rolling Stone.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
29 May 2025
Noun
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Tort claims are typically filed as precursors to a potential lawsuit.—
Sarah Cutler,
Idaho Statesman,
22 May 2025
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Gleason worked as a senior adviser to the U.S. Digital Service, the precursor to DOGE.—
Melissa Quinn
May 21,
CBS News,
21 May 2025
Noun
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The parallels with the film inspired both of us to embrace the present with more wonder and gratitude and look to the future not only with a stronger father-daughter bond, but with more hope and adventure about what else is out there.—
Melody Chiu,
People.com,
24 May 2025
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Thornton injects a childlike sense of wonder with literal glimmers of light, magic realism making its way into this stark, severe environment.—
Ella Kemp,
IndieWire,
23 May 2025
Noun
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Markets test Trump As stocks whipsawed this month, volatility gripped Treasuries and the dollar broadly weakened, leaving investors wondering whether this was just a bout of extreme abnormality or a foreshadowing of more turmoil to come.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
30 Apr. 2025
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In a bit of foreshadowing, Minnesota set a school record when that half dozen went to the NFL Scouting Combine this winter, although that isn’t a one-to-one comparison.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Test yourself on treasured tunes and midwestern marvels in this week's American Culture Quiz.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2025
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Their products are often seen as technical marvels.—
JoAnn Yamani,
Forbes.com,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Portent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portent. Accessed 7 Jun. 2025.
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