foreshadow

verb

fore·​shad·​ow fȯr-ˈsha-(ˌ)dō How to pronounce foreshadow (audio)
foreshadowed; foreshadowing; foreshadows

transitive verb

: to represent, indicate, or typify beforehand : prefigure
The hero's predicament is foreshadowed in the first chapter.
foreshadower noun

Examples of foreshadow in a Sentence

Her early interest in airplanes foreshadowed her later career as a pilot. The hero's predicament is foreshadowed in the first chapter.
Recent Examples on the Web Winters in the region are becoming a lot more unpredictable, and a new study foreshadows what the unpredictability may mean for walleye, which are important commercially, recreationally and ecologically. Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 1 Mar. 2024 Xavier Suarez wrote that the family ultimately left Cuba due to a combination of poor job prospects and fear of political persecution — foreshadowing reasons given by thousands of asylum-seekers now being paroled into the country each week from the southern border. Sarah Blaskey, Miami Herald, 22 Feb. 2024 The announcement foreshadows a new challenge for state regulators, as increasingly advanced AI tools create new opportunities to meddle in elections across the world by creating fake audio recordings, photos and even videos of candidates, muddying the waters of reality. Pranshu Verma, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2024 Historic California rain could foreshadow more extreme rainfall in coming weeks On Thursday, the worst of the flooding is hitting Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee. Max Golembo, ABC News, 25 Jan. 2024 In 1975, the Asilomar Conference on Recombinant DNA foreshadowed today’s AI concerns. Fox News Staff, Fox News, 24 Jan. 2024 But with its lyrics describing a capsized boat and uncertainty about making it back to shore, the song unwittingly foreshadowed the band’s demise, a byproduct of a reckless lifestyle rooted in heavy drug use. Pamela Chelin, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2024 This period ominously foreshadowed the Holocaust, with aid workers at the time warning of the potential extermination of 6 million Jews. David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Jan. 2024 Hobbs foreshadowed the bills and the policies proposed in them during her State of the State speech on Jan. 8. Stacey Barchenger, The Arizona Republic, 25 Jan. 2024

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

Word History

First Known Use

1577, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of foreshadow was in 1577

Dictionary Entries Near foreshadow

Cite this Entry

“Foreshadow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foreshadow. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

foreshadow

verb
fore·​shad·​ow -ˈshad-ō How to pronounce foreshadow (audio)
: to give a hint or suggestion of beforehand
foreshadower noun

More from Merriam-Webster on foreshadow

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