as in forerunner
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event
the preaching of John the Baptist is generally regarded by Christians as a prefiguring of the ministry of Jesus
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
as in foreshadowing
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the first crocus traditionally prefigures the arrival of spring
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefiguring
Noun
-
Like these forerunners, the pleasures of Knight’s A Thousand Blows, which premiered all six episodes of its second season on Hulu Friday, lies in looking back on that thin sliver of time, about 15 years ago, when anachronistic old-timey crime was in vogue.—
Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026
-
The League of Nations was the forerunner to the UN and is famous among historians for its formation after the wreckage of World War I and its almost immediate failure to prevent the rise of authoritarianism in the 1930s that gave way to World War II.—
Verb
-
The video then cuts to the musician wearing hot pink cleaning gloves lined with red faux fur, foreshadowing what’s to come in the next video.—
-
Earle was dressed to the nines, well, more like the tens — some foreshadowing there — for the occasion, donning a glistening white and silver gown with feather accents, along with long white gloves and a blinding choker.—
Noun
-
The vast majority of these deaths are caused by illicit fentanyl which experts report is typically synthesized in Mexico from precursor chemicals provided by Chinese operatives and brought into the United States via vehicles passing through official ports of entry.—
-
The Golden Globes are a great precursor to what is to come there.—
Verb
-
In heralding the occasion with this exclusive interview, the always engaging historian adds a distinguished grace note to the retrospective tone of City & Shore magazine’s 25th Anniversary Issue.—
-
Those same stars will glide silently through the night as the last moments of 2025 fade and the first of a new year begins, heralding the start of another year of incredible stargazing opportunities.—
Noun
-
For Swain, the rise of directs presages nothing less than a revolution in the world’s financial markets.—
-
The result is chaos, bewilderment and delay that presages rising consumer prices.—
Noun
-
Carol’s favorite, Bella Donna, does not carry the same dark portents.—
-
But with the hindsight of the 2025 campaign, it is filled with signifiers, the emergence from the TV to dazzle the local villagers a portent of a savvy politician who got elected by stepping away from the screen to meet physically with voters.—
Verb
-
Dexcom — Shares of the glucose monitor manufacturer rose more than 5% after preannouncing fourth-quarter results and offering a forecast for 2026, predicting revenue growth of between 11% and 13%.—
-
Many pundits were predicting a big Best Motion Picture Drama win for Sinners, and that might have been very popular for the audience at home, which actually has heard of and maybe even seen that hit film.—
Noun
-
After you’re done cleaning up the kitchen or tackling tough stains around the house, a simple wash with oxygen bleach or a hint of chlorine bleach can make white towels look new again.—
-
The mix of spices held a hint of spiciness, but still pretty flavorful and wasn’t overwhelming.—
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Cite this Entry
“Prefiguring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefiguring. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
