looming 1 of 2

adjective

as in impending
giving signs of immediate occurrence some economists see a looming collapse of the stock market

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

looming

2 of 2

verb

present participle of loom
as in brewing
to be about to happen he tried to take a proactive approach to dealing with the problems that loomed ahead

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of looming
Verb
The looming question mark of a Super Bowl Halftime Show performance hung in the air at SoFi on Saturday night. — Steven J. Horowitz, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026 Four days later, with a ground invasion of Gaza looming, Netanyahu asked Eisenkot to join a small war cabinet. — Eric Cortellessa, Time, 25 Oct. 2026 The debate stage provided Marshall and Hamilton the clearest opportunity to address the criticisms looming over their campaigns. — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026 Some Republican groups have stopped spending in Kean’s race because his race is widely seen as doomed to defeat amid a looming Democratic blue wave. — Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 22 Oct. 2026 But between everyday expenses straining borrowers' budgets in today's inflationary landscape and the many other economic issues that are looming, finding the extra money to accelerate the repayment process isn't necessarily easy. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 This offseason, the Dodgers must address their offense and aging lineup, weigh the future of free-agent pitcher Tarik Skubal and navigate uncertainty over a looming labor stoppage. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 Thomas is anxious, but with death looming, Vision finally nails the conversation he’s been practicing by investing it with real emotion, conviction, and support. — Tasha Robinson, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026 And looming over the offseason in general is the possibility of a lockout. — Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for looming
  1. impending
  2. brewing
  3. approaching
Adjective
  • The departures come just over a month after the museum announced the impending exit of chief executive and director Eugene Tan.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 26 Oct. 2026
  • Just in time for the impending arrival of winter, New Balance has quietly upgraded the Abzorb 2010 with Gore-Tex membranes in a pack of three distinctly different colorways.
    — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of impending
Verb
  • Could a major deal between David Ellison’s Skydance and Elon Musk’s SpaceX be brewing?
    — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The ear had been in the jar for nearly a decade (ew), but the conflict between Spain and Britain had been brewing much longer.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of brewing
Verb
  • Angle of attack refers to the angle between an aircraft wing and the airflow approaching it.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
  • With midterm elections and the holiday season approaching, more prospective issuers could opt to wait until early 2027.
    — Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of approaching

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Cite this Entry

“Looming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/looming. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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