as in herald
one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another
her father's successful job interview was seen as a harbinger of better times to come
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in to herald
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the hope that the housing slump does not harbinger a general economic recession
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of harbinger
Doyle Rice, USA Today, 22 June 2025
The attacks could be a harbinger of what may follow.
—Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025
Right now, the menu is filled with traditional American classics, but the breakfast and lunch croissant sandwiches are a harbinger of things to come when 88 Donuts gets up and rolling.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 June 2025
Paul then recalled an instance where The Studio actor came out of the production office and solemnly beckoned him to come over, a seeming harbinger of bad news.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for harbinger
Noun
Thus, the early activity in the Pacific isn't likely a harbinger of storms to come in the Atlantic.
—Doyle Rice, USA Today, 22 June 2025
The attacks could be a harbinger of what may follow.
—Gaurav Sharma, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025
Right now, the menu is filled with traditional American classics, but the breakfast and lunch croissant sandwiches are a harbinger of things to come when 88 Donuts gets up and rolling.
—Amy Drew Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 June 2025
Paul then recalled an instance where The Studio actor came out of the production office and solemnly beckoned him to come over, a seeming harbinger of bad news.
—Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 1 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for harbinger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for harbinger
Noun
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Once again the plot bent toward total transformations of the Republic, accompanied by the thrilling heralds of Trump’s imminent downfall.—
Matthew Karp,
Harper's Magazine,
28 Feb. 2025
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Brian Wilson’s death on Wednesday at the age of 82 heralds an end to one idea of Southern California — as the temperate paradise of ascendant Americana.—
August Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 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
Noun
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The killer is a man who, for all his delusions, pokes at the other men’s complacency and domesticity — making this thriller a forerunner of everything from Easy Rider to The Hitcher to Collateral. 20.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
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Here is a look at some of the most likely forerunners to serve as the 267th pope, according to public reporting.—
Caitlin McFall,
FOXNews.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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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
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Thunderstorms are likely to subside in the evening but could pop up again on July 8 across the south-central Plains, forecasters predicted.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
7 July 2025
Noun
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Chinese authorities have since controlled a number of these precursor chemicals.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
12 July 2025
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As a precursor of sorts for CBS stalwart Survivor (which returns for its 49th edition on September 24), Big Brother is the perfect reality appetizer before the ultimate main course.—
Marc Berman,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
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
Noun
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Schneider highlighted that early signs of AI use cases — such as driving corporate headcount reductions and greater sales — have emerged and created a path towards reinvestment into future growth.—
Pia Singh,
CNBC,
10 July 2025
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Isaacman is a friend of Elon Musk, and the move was seen as the first sign of the rift between Trump and Musk that widened as the two men publicly feuded over a sweeping tax and spending package central to Trump’s second term agenda.—
Chantelle Lee,
Time,
10 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
Cite this Entry
“Harbinger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/harbinger. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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