Thesaurus results for FORERUN

forerun

verb

fȯr-ˈrən

Definition of forerun

as in to herald

to give a slight indication of beforehand the moral decay that traditionally foreruns the decline of a mighty empire

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for forerun

Verb

Its exterior is rich with symbolism, from stone carvings representing the all-seeing eye of God to a golden statue, atop the highest spire, of an angel blowing a trumpet to herald the Second Coming.

— Brandon Griggs, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026
Maybe Druckenmiller owning his AI use and receiving the Journal’s blessing heralds a new era of guilt-free mechanized writing.

— Will Oremus, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of herald

Verb

Lee saw the events foreshadowing a dark future for his country and maybe the world — changes in technology and wealth leaving workers behind.

— David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 27 Aug. 2026
That framing foreshadowed a moment a few months later that would push Carney even further onto the world stage.

— Desiree Adib, ABC News, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of foreshadow

Verb

In April, for example, the head of the International Energy Agency predicted that flights may soon need to be grounded in Europe due to jet fuel shortages.

— Katie Silver, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Processor defenses leave a tiny opening Modern processors improve performance by predicting which path a program is likely to follow and beginning the work before the correct path is confirmed.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of predict

Verb

Advanced Micro Devices — The chip stock gained 5% after Raymond James upgraded the semiconductor company to strong buy from outperform, with a new $641 price target that implied 40% upside from Monday’s close.

— Sarah Min, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026
The Dorchester team came just short of implying that the Pierre was some sort of deathtrap.

— Noah Shachtman, Vanity Fair, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of imply

Verb

The arch will disturb the sightline between more landmarks than anticipated, the report said.

— Matthew Daly, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
Reliable, independent government reporting is an important part of the information infrastructure businesses use to understand labor supply, anticipate change and make workforce decisions.

— Sheila Callaham, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of anticipate

Verb

In between, works by contemporaries complicate superficial ideas about his meteoric genius, and small, delicate drawings teem with an abundance of ideas — paintings never made, thoughts adumbrated then abandoned.

— Philip Kennicott, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2019
Nothing in America’s tepid 19th-century contributions to European classical music adumbrated it; nor did the homely and sometimes hokey popular songs of Stephen Foster.

— Heather Mac Donald, National Review, 22 Aug. 2019

Definition of adumbrate

Verb

On the city’s West Side, the site of storied clubs such as Silvio’s as well as the Maxwell Street Market, blues musicians developed a style of electric blues in the 1950s that typically included a horn section (prefiguring soul music).

— René Ostberg, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
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

Definition of prefigure

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.

Browse Nearby Words

foreran

forerun

forerunner

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Forerun.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/forerun. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of forerun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes