1
as in forerunner
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
a red sky in the morning can be a portent of a coming storm
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2
as in miracle
something extraordinary or surprising
a scout was sent to have a look at this teenage pitcher who was supposed to be the latest portent of the baseball world
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of portent
Many reckoned with its ideals; pervasive talk of liberty held particular portent for women’s lives.
—
Jane Kamensky, The Atlantic, 10 Oct. 2025
Keane, though, sees nothing but disaster ahead, a portent presaged by some of the film’s most enduring images, like a stretch limo with a flat tire and a steam room littered with empty champagne bottles.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
As portents go, after a testing summer for Newcastle, this did not look altogether positive.
—The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Other auspicious portents are appearing, Worden says, that signal initial Mars colonies could begin spreading out, beneath crystalline hemispheric domes, across the 2030s.
—Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for portent
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portent
Noun
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Perfected by forerunners such as Fiona Apple and Alanis Morissette, this fall has already seen two music stars gift us with lay-it-all-out-there lyrics.—
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The Park cinema launched under the ownership of Cineplex Odeon Cinemas, a forerunner of Cineplex and today an operator of multiplexes and out of home destinations.—
Noun
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Luckily, a miracle came to me in the form of a workhorse concealer.—
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Other sertanejo and agronejo artists content themselves with promoting agrobusiness interests through their lyrics, praising industrial farming and the miracle of pesticides.—
Noun
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In fact, some of you may have found a more spiritual connection to the universe, seeing omens, signs, and visions of what was, what is and what could be.—
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The pattern offers favorable omens for Saquon Barkley, a sports history buff, who breached 1,000 yards rushing with a 132-yard game against the Commanders.—
Noun
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What's more, a new phenomenon is taking shape.—
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There are myriad extraordinary animal phenomena in the natural world, from the running of the salmon to the months-long hibernation of bears.—
Noun
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Nya Lödöse was an important precursor to modern-day Gothenburg, located in the city’s eastern part between 1473 and 1624.—
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Bogle introduced the first index fund for everyday investors, a precursor to the Vanguard 500.—
Noun
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Eventually, their wonder grates on Glaser and the rest of the forest.—
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National parks may have the name recognition, but some of our country’s most beautiful natural wonders and sights are tucked away in state parks.—
Noun
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With Division 1 being wide open this season, this early-season matchup is a possible foreshadowing of a postseason matchup.—
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Vance Joseph provided a bit of foreshadowing earlier this month.—
Noun
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During my early childhood, my brother and I lived in innocence, away from the great world, absorbed by sand, waves and marvels of the ocean.—
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Mercifully, the marvels of modern medicine and technology have greatly compensated for these losses.—
Cite this Entry
“Portent.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portent. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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