as in to foreshadow
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the first crocus traditionally prefigures the arrival of spring
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Recent Examples of prefigure
The film, with a screenplay by Buck Henry, is a biting satire of the American tabloid mentality and in some ways prefigures the contemporary reality-show mind-set of fame at whatever cost.
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Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2024
But the unleashing of ethnic nationalisms amid imperial collapse and global conflict saw the genocidal massacre of Armenians and prefigured the new republic.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024
Kremlin authorities seized on Macron’s remarks, arguing that NATO troops in Ukraine would prefigure a direct armed confrontation with Russia.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
Some people think of Sutherland as the ‘godfather of computer graphics’ – and with good reason, given that his Sketchpad application prefigured the AutoCAD tools so useful in drafting and designing today.
—John Werner, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prefigure 
Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2024
But the unleashing of ethnic nationalisms amid imperial collapse and global conflict saw the genocidal massacre of Armenians and prefigured the new republic.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024
Kremlin authorities seized on Macron’s remarks, arguing that NATO troops in Ukraine would prefigure a direct armed confrontation with Russia.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 28 Feb. 2024
Some people think of Sutherland as the ‘godfather of computer graphics’ – and with good reason, given that his Sketchpad application prefigured the AutoCAD tools so useful in drafting and designing today.
—John Werner, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prefigure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefigure
Verb
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Special election proceedings this summer in Glendale, a Milwaukee suburb, foreshadowed the kinds of scenes US counties might expect to see in the coming weeks.Tess Owen, WIRED, 28 Oct. 2024
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Many of these strategies of foreshadowing consumer needs stems from her work in the industry that stretches back three decades.Tiffany Leigh, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
Verb
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Not even the most pessimistic prognosticators could have predicted this.Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 10 Nov. 2024
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Studies show betting markets have sometimes accurately predicted winners, especially when large volumes of data are available.Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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The merger implies a current equity value of Huture at $1.0 billion prior to closing.Quartz Bot, Quartz, 14 Nov. 2024
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That implies that just as federalism guards against the tyranny made possible through overt centralization, federalism also has counterweights to prevent individual state governments from wrecking the whole.Jenna Bednar, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
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Such moments of triumph did not herald an era of consolidation, but a dissolution and disintegration to come.Michael Brendan Dougherty, National Review, 22 Nov. 2024
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The arrival of the incoming Trump Administration heralds what’s expected to be a more lenient regulatory and antitrust environment from the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Dept. of Justice.David Bloom, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
Verb
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But those appearances were anticipated in advance, the candidates didn’t pop in days before the general election.Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 3 Nov. 2024
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But Mexico anticipates a tough immigration regime whoever wins.New York Times, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near prefigure
Cite this Entry
“Prefigure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefigure. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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