portents

noun

plural of portent
1
as in omens
something believed to be a sign or warning of a future event a red sky in the morning can be a portent of a coming storm

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in miracles
something extraordinary or surprising a scout was sent to have a look at this teenage pitcher who was supposed to be the latest portent of the baseball world

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 portents Always alert to mood swings, Hollywood this week is coping with some dauntingly positive portents. — Peter Bart, Deadline, 25 June 2026 But there is reason for hope, because the season-one finale of Widow’s Bay is like a beacon in the dark, and all the signs and portents are lining up. — Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 17 June 2026 In the shadows of the long-hut, the elders muttered among themselves—of portents and crops and weather and the storage of grain. — Maggie O’Farrell, Literary Hub, 2 June 2026 Hurley says there are already portents of future protests against SpaceX’s plan, sparked by its lofting just 10,000 Starlink satellites so far into low Earth orbit. — Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 14 May 2026 By the end of 1857, no one knew the crack-up of the Union was coming in three years, or that the nation would be in a civil war in four, but the portents were bleak. — Jake Lundberg, The Atlantic, 12 Feb. 2026 Black cats can be portents of bad luck. — Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Nov. 2025 As portents go, after a testing summer for Newcastle, this did not look altogether positive. — The Athletic Uk Staff, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025 Advertisement Mamdani’s performance as mayor would be scrutinized for portents of the Democrats’ future. — Mark Chiusano, Time, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for portents
  1. omens
  2. miracles
  3. predictions
  4. wonders
  5. hints
  6. marvels
  7. heralds
  8. suggestions
Noun
  • No omens, no fear—just another extraordinarily beautiful experience locked into memory.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Black cats can be seen as bad omens, sometimes associated with witches and with the old superstition to not let a black cat cross your path.
    — Maddie Rhodes, USA Today, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of omens
Noun
  • Though Rome was not convinced (Columbus had not, to anyone’s knowledge, performed any miracles), in 1892, Pope Leo XIII did issue a special encyclical calling on all clergy in the Americas and in Europe to hold a special Mass each Columbus Day.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The miracle of the fishes and loaves is one of the only miracles in the first four books of the New Testament.
    — Robert Costa, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of miracles
Noun
  • On Thursday, the hurricane center cranked up the predictions for rainfall for the panhandle.
    — Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The experiment will help researchers compare computer predictions with actual re-entry performance.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of predictions
Noun
  • This legendary hotel is part safari experience, part luxury resort, and within a stone’s throw of Victoria Falls, offering guests complimentary VIP access to one of the world’s seven natural wonders.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Still one wonders about the defense after Teoscar Hernández misplayed a Michael Harris II double into a triple in the fifth inning before Kris Bubic threw a wild pitch to plate the go-ahead run.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of wonders
Noun
  • Instead measure it by improvement, bright spots and hints of hope.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
  • That’s the Stuart who shows up periodically to give them clues or hints to try to help them on their way.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of hints
Noun
  • Frances marvels at how quickly people are radicalized online, how the machine essentially transforms them from one type of individual to another.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
  • One named Jackie marvels at nothing in particular on a grubby London street.
    — Lauren Jackson, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of marvels
Noun
  • The project heralds from Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, two of the four co-directors behind 2025 Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land.
    — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Now Pedicularis had emerged as one of the first heralds of the Arctic summer, its stems wrapped in grayish, silky hairs that protect it like a warm winter coat.
    — Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of heralds
Noun
  • Reddit threads abound with fertility playlist suggestions and Bareilles’ addition to the canon doesn’t go unnoticed.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Anthropic and OpenAI have said their advanced AI products need to be regulated, and company representatives at the hearing expressed openness to some of the Council's suggestions.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of suggestions

Browse Nearby Words

portentous
portents
porter
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Cite this Entry

“Portents.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/portents. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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