How to Use portend in a Sentence

portend

verb
  • The distant thunder portended a storm.
  • If you're superstitious, a black cat portends trouble.
  • For more on what that portends for this year’s midterm elections, read on.
    — David Lauter, latimes.com, 30 Mar. 2018
  • Their appetites portend our doom.
    — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Beasley has an offensive skillset that portends well on most teams.
    — Mat Issa, Forbes.com, 27 Aug. 2025
  • What would this injustice portend for our union?
    — Wayne Chan, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Nov. 2025
  • All of which could portend another spike in cases like the city saw last fall.
    — Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 23 Mar. 2021
  • The fact of the matter is, the future portends a certain amount of anger.
    — Libby Watson, The New Republic, 10 Mar. 2020
  • His sentiment could portend a rocky road for some of the reforms.
    — Brittany Wallman, sun-sentinel.com, 30 Aug. 2021
  • The tech portends big things for missions to Mars and elsewhere.
    — TIME, 30 Oct. 2024
  • The music drifts in and out, portending something that may not be there.
    — Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 29 Apr. 2025
  • Did that continue this year, and does that portend anything for next year?
    — Galen Druke, ABC News, 19 Dec. 2023
  • But many now fear that the arrests portend a broader crackdown.
    — Valerie Hopkins, New York Times, 18 Feb. 2024
  • But what does that portend for the next two years, legislatively?
    — NBC News, 13 Nov. 2022
  • There is a scene, in fact, in her country house swimming pool, that seems to portend a drowning.
    — Valerie Monroe, Allure, 25 Dec. 2024
  • All of which might explain why voters have a half-glass-full view of what June might portend.
    — William Pesek, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025
  • Of course, starting a lot of games in college does not portend success in and of itself.
    — BostonGlobe.com, 31 July 2021
  • See, the way this season is going for the Aztecs portends a bright future.
    — Kevin Acee, sandiegouniontribune.com, 23 Sep. 2017
  • This ruling may well portend a new trial for Madigan as well.
    — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 16 Apr. 2026
  • The disputes in Chongqing and Hangzhou could portend more unrest to come.
    — Muyi Xiao, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2023
  • Anyone who saw the first go-round will know what a rumbling earthquake felt only by the four ladies portends.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Aug. 2025
  • Bond yields also haven’t risen to the level that many fear could portend a turning point for the stock market.
    — Akane Otani, WSJ, 1 Apr. 2018
  • That doesn’t portend well for your wallet this Valentine’s Day.
    — Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 13 Feb. 2024
  • Does the growth of AI portend even tougher times for those who make their living in finance?
    — Bill Steiden, Des Moines Register, 5 Feb. 2026
  • The deal doesn’t portend a major shift in the industry’s tactics.
    — Erin Mershon, STAT, 11 July 2018
  • And the future portends even more dealmaking.
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 13 Aug. 2025
  • The Rams proved last season that a poor first half of the season does not portend disaster.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2024
  • This dynamic portends a tragic end for Iran.
    — Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 3 Apr. 2026
  • Their common opponents this season portend a close game.
    — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 5 Dec. 2025
  • Getting Smith the ball has portended good things for the Buckeyes.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC News, 21 Jan. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'portend.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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