1
as in futures
what is going to happen to someone in the time ahead
the telephone psychic proceeded to tell me my fortune—at great length
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in destinies
a state or end that seemingly has been decided beforehand
it was his fortune that he should wander in the wilderness before becoming king
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fortunes
The trio of enterprising young musicians decided to cast their fortunes together by forming a band which, after enlisting Cameron Picton (another BRIT classmate) on a range of instruments from bass guitar to flute, became Black Midi.
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Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Jan. 2026
In signing the Declaration of Independence, the Founding Fathers pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to the cause of American national sovereignty.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
But the Bruins’ fortunes have plummeted as the landscape changed.
—Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2026
The Danish drugmaker hopes the new oral version could revive its fortunes, with its share price and profits flagging in the last year.
—Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 12 Jan. 2026
While One Battle After Another’s Oscar fortunes look bright, there’s still plenty of awards season left—and things continue to evolve.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
Many African and Middle East leaders are unimaginably wealthy, their fortunes often curated by Western bankers and lawyers, including some of Wall Street and the City of London’s biggest names.
—Max Hastings, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2026
Yet fortunes have turned more recently, with on-field inadequacies slowly but surely eating into off-field resources.
—Chris Weatherspoon, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
The Wegovy pill could attract new consumers as Novo looks to revive its fortunes after profit warnings and sliding shares last year.
—Reuters, NBC news, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fortunes
Noun
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Slowing things down protects families and futures.—
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Which is just one of many ways for those of us without a red carpet event in our immediate futures to embrace the new silver trend.—
Noun
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In 2022, the 'woman life freedom' [movement] was mainly about the rights of women to determine their own destinies.—
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Strategists caution that off-year elections are signals, not destinies, with economic conditions, turnout dynamics, and campaign messaging still capable of reshaping the map before November 2026.—
Noun
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The circumstances made the role ill-suited to Bennett, and everyone knew that Shawn was beset by phobias.—
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Detectives from the Police Department’s Major Collision Investigation Unit responded to take over the investigation, but the circumstances of the crash remained under investigation.—
Noun
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Instead of revealing the tally of the jury votes on the island, final players would have to wait to learn their fates months later, when the show aired.—
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To the seats at the tables where so many decisions are made — decisions that dominate our days and dictate our health and determine our fates.—
Cite this Entry
“Fortunes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fortunes. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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