as in foreshadowed
to give a slight indication of beforehand
the first crocus traditionally prefigures the arrival of spring
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of prefigured
Other Black families tried to hold on under the new regime but ultimately found Wilmington untenable and moved north, joining a local exodus that prefigured the Great Migration.
—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
3 July 2026
In July 1962, Froio prefigured her lifelong involvement with the Hamptons by writing a piece for WWD about what was selling at the boutiques in West Hampton, commenting on the merchandise at stores called Le Sorelle (The Sisters) and Treasure Trove.
—
Lorna Koski,
Footwear News,
11 June 2026
Projected on an obelisk, this narrowest of histories prefigured the commemorative distortions to follow.
—
Greg Allen,
ARTnews.com,
7 June 2026
That prefigured, in a much smaller and less consequential way, Iran’s own actions in blocking the Strait of Hormuz during the current crisis.
—
Ioana Emy Matesan,
The Conversation,
9 Apr. 2026
The horror has come now like a storm— what if this night prefigured the night after death— what if all thereafter was an eternal quivering on the edge of an abyss, with everything base and vicious in oneself urging one forward and the baseness and viciousness of the world just ahead.
—
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
Chess by telegraph also prefigured chess played through other means of telecommunications.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
11 Dec. 2025
The dynamic prefigured the White House of Bush 43, which the Veep largely staffed, and substantially dominated.
—
Karl Vick,
Time,
4 Nov. 2025
Your 2018 book, The Lies That Bind, seems to have prefigured the backlash against a certain way of talking about identity—as essential or at least fixed—that was prevalent in the 2010s.
—
Lula Konner,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Oct. 2025
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
3 July 2026
In July 1962, Froio prefigured her lifelong involvement with the Hamptons by writing a piece for WWD about what was selling at the boutiques in West Hampton, commenting on the merchandise at stores called Le Sorelle (The Sisters) and Treasure Trove.
—
Lorna Koski,
Footwear News,
11 June 2026
Projected on an obelisk, this narrowest of histories prefigured the commemorative distortions to follow.
—
Greg Allen,
ARTnews.com,
7 June 2026
That prefigured, in a much smaller and less consequential way, Iran’s own actions in blocking the Strait of Hormuz during the current crisis.
—
Ioana Emy Matesan,
The Conversation,
9 Apr. 2026
The horror has come now like a storm— what if this night prefigured the night after death— what if all thereafter was an eternal quivering on the edge of an abyss, with everything base and vicious in oneself urging one forward and the baseness and viciousness of the world just ahead.
—
Literary Hub,
3 Mar. 2026
Chess by telegraph also prefigured chess played through other means of telecommunications.
—
IEEE Spectrum,
11 Dec. 2025
The dynamic prefigured the White House of Bush 43, which the Veep largely staffed, and substantially dominated.
—
Karl Vick,
Time,
4 Nov. 2025
Your 2018 book, The Lies That Bind, seems to have prefigured the backlash against a certain way of talking about identity—as essential or at least fixed—that was prevalent in the 2010s.
—
Lula Konner,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prefigured
Verb
-
Roberts’s quip foreshadowed his opinion on behalf of the Court holding that near-universal birthright citizenship is guaranteed by the text of the Fourteenth Amendment’s citizenship clause.
-
As Sam Khan wrote yesterday, the SWC also foreshadowed the future of college football.
Verb
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The housing package was heralded as a win by both Republicans and Democrats, who are eager to campaign on the legislation ahead of the 2026 midterms in which voters have serious concerns about the cost of living.
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There will also be random utility players and less-than-heralded bullpen arms included to fill out the roster.
Verb
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And with one of the worst tick seasons ever predicted happening now, this treatment is more important than ever.
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Gartner predicted 20% of organizations would flatten by 2026, eliminating over half of middle management roles.
Verb
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Listening carefully has also revealed opportunities the company never anticipated.
-
It is anticipated the 16-year-old will move to a professional contract upon turning 17 in January 2027.
Verb
-
The Swedish-Bosnian legend implied that success comes from hewing to national tradition.
-
Eastwood implied that some people in the entertainment industry want to be actors just to be famous.
Cite this Entry
“Prefigured.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prefigured. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
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