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 details are what captivate; chrome strips on the hood and sides, and exquisite chrome hood hinges prefiguring the decklid hinges on Ferrari’s 275 GTB/4.
—
Robert Ross, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2024
Woody’s facial-recognition research in the 1960s prefigured all these technological breakthroughs and their queasy ethical implications.
—Shaun Raviv, WIRED, 21 Jan. 2020
The index, which measures wholesale prices – and thus generally prefigures changes in the CPI – was unchanged in September from August, defying expectations from a Dow Jones survey of a 0.1% increase.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2024
Westchester County during the Revolutionary War prefigured the Wild West before that concept had entered a dime novelist’s mind.
—Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for prefigure
Robert Ross, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2024
Woody’s facial-recognition research in the 1960s prefigured all these technological breakthroughs and their queasy ethical implications.
—Shaun Raviv, WIRED, 21 Jan. 2020
The index, which measures wholesale prices – and thus generally prefigures changes in the CPI – was unchanged in September from August, defying expectations from a Dow Jones survey of a 0.1% increase.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2024
Westchester County during the Revolutionary War prefigured the Wild West before that concept had entered a dime novelist’s mind.
—Ian Frazier, The New Yorker, 15 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for prefigure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefigure
Verb
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Stylistically, The Interrogation foreshadows the conventions that would characterize Wang’s later works.—
Philip Tinari,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2025
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As with previous outings, death is foreshadowed before flashing back one week earlier to the guests’ arrival at the elite five-star White Lotus resort.—
Nina Metz,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Tremble didn’t have the 2024 season that many predicted.—
Alex Zietlow and,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Mar. 2025
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Women possessed by the gods were oracles, predicting the future in cryptic utterances.—
Vipin Bharathan,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
Verb
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For the full year: Total revenue in the range of $40.5 billion to $40.9 billion, implying between 7% to 8% growth.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
27 Feb. 2025
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Wells offers us a model of political resistance to racial injustice that implies the complex negotiation of principles when confronted with sustained pressures, in practice, by the institutions and norms that perpetuate white supremacy and racial oppression.—
Amy Gais / Made by History,
TIME,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The fruit was heralded as far back as the year 1279 as the preferred fruit of the royal court and emperors.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2025
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In today’s fast-evolving world of digital product development, agile methodologies were once heralded as a groundbreaking approach to drive innovation, foster collaboration and deliver real value to customers.—
Federico Imparatta,
Forbes,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Every organization anticipates retirements and resignations.—
Sherzod Odilov,
Forbes,
9 Mar. 2025
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No one should have anticipated what Williams had done.—
Louisa Thomas,
The New Yorker,
9 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Prefigure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefigure. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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