as in to anticipate
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the strife in Bloody Kansas in the 1850s adumbrated the civil war that would follow
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Recent Examples of adumbrate
In between, works by contemporaries complicate superficial ideas about his meteoric genius, and small, delicate drawings teem with an abundance of ideas — paintings never made, thoughts adumbrated then abandoned.
—
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2019
Nothing in America’s tepid 19th-century contributions to European classical music adumbrated it; nor did the homely and sometimes hokey popular songs of Stephen Foster.
—Heather Mac Donald, National Review, 22 Aug. 2019
The helicopter crash, on the other hand, is a narrative dead end, merely adumbrating the portrait that Mr. Davenport will draw of Mr. Bezos as unflappable.
—Randall Stross, WSJ, 15 Apr. 2018
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2019
Nothing in America’s tepid 19th-century contributions to European classical music adumbrated it; nor did the homely and sometimes hokey popular songs of Stephen Foster.
—Heather Mac Donald, National Review, 22 Aug. 2019
The helicopter crash, on the other hand, is a narrative dead end, merely adumbrating the portrait that Mr. Davenport will draw of Mr. Bezos as unflappable.
—Randall Stross, WSJ, 15 Apr. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for adumbrate
Verb
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The company anticipates cleanup efforts to wrap up at the end of August, but the target may be adjusted as needed to ensure safety.—
Rob Nikolewski,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 July 2025
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To say it was highly anticipated is an understatement: crowds gathered outside the church, as did the press, eager to see the high ranking British aristocrat wed one of the country’s wealthiest women.—
Elise Taylor,
Vogue,
7 July 2025
Verb
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But that play, in the seventh, merely foreshadowed an even better one in the eighth, when Parker unleashed a rocket, on the fly, to cut down the go-ahead run.—
Tyler Kepner,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
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Clifton’s recent disaster was foreshadowed by past violations and another deadly explosion at the same facility in 2003.—
Connor Giffin,
The Courier-Journal,
2 July 2025
Verb
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The Global Wellness Institute predicts a related category, wellness tourism, will average annual expenditure growth of 16.6% to 2027, noting travel trends that include travel for mental health, sleep and recovery.—
Rafi Golberstein,
Forbes.com,
7 July 2025
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Washington Examiner Senior Writer Joe Concha predicted Tesla CEO Elon Musk would not elect even one representative to Congress via his new political party.—
Jenny Goldsberry,
The Washington Examiner,
7 July 2025
Verb
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This early embrace of mechanical rhythm prefigured what would later become a foundation of hip-hop and electronic music.—
Jose Valentino Ruiz,
The Conversation,
13 June 2025
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Its extreme hostility to the very idea of liberal governance, its skepticism of democracy, and its faith in the primacy of the wealthy over the law all prefigured the way that Trump and Elon Musk would assail key functions of government in 2025.—
Zack Beauchamp,
Vox,
7 Dec. 2018
Verb
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The latest hike implies that 1.92 million bpd (or over 87%) of those cuts have now been unwound.—
Gaurav Sharma,
Forbes.com,
9 July 2025
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Later, it’s implied that the actual kidnapper was Manon, who has the same tattoo.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
9 July 2025
Verb
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The visual is heralded for its vibrant celebration of Benin culture featuring showcases of Fá deities, costumes adorned with ileke beads, Yoruba-style gele headwraps, and mesmerizing dance routines inspired by the Fon cultural dance, Zinli.—
Ime Ekpo,
Forbes.com,
5 July 2025
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And how about the city’s single Portland Loo, a stand-alone portable potty, heralded as easier to maintain, more durable and less prone to vandalism?—
Patricia Gallagher Newberry,
The Enquirer,
4 July 2025
Verb
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What the optimists did not foresee was that power could eventually shift back.—
SARAH BUSH,
Foreign Affairs,
3 July 2025
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Many business leaders and others remain rattled because most people did not foresee the massive tariffs that Trump rolled out earlier this year.—
Susan Tompor,
Freep.com,
3 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Adumbrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/adumbrate. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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