as in to predict
to tell of or describe beforehand
a 16th-century astrologer who, some claim, accurately foretold 20th-century events
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Recent Examples of foretell
In 1962, researchers examined the Church of the True Word, which had foretold a nuclear disaster.
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Shayla Love, New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2025
The opening night in Brazil provided the ominous but apparently foretelling moment, when one star player left his passing lane on a game-deciding third down.
—Sam McDowell December 15, Kansas City Star, 15 Dec. 2025
Tarot foretells the news that is manifesting and provides a warning.
—Lisa Stardust, PEOPLE, 15 Nov. 2025
The track, written and produced by Danny Elfman, premiered in the 1993 film The Nightmare Before Christmas (foretelling the blend of Halloween and Christmas decorations on the latest chart).
—Gary Trust, Billboard, 11 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for foretell
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foretell
predict
Verb
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Then, another cold front is predicted to return this weekend — dropping temperatures back down quite rapidly.—
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The world's largest economy weathered the shocks of 2025 better than most pundits predicted.—
Cite this Entry
“Foretell.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foretell. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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