foreshadow

American

[fawr-shad-oh, fohr-] / fɔrˈʃæd oʊ, foʊr- /

verb (used with object)

to show or indicate beforehand; prefigure.

Political upheavals foreshadowed war.

foreshadow British

/ fɔːˈʃædəʊ /

verb

(tr) to show, indicate, or suggest in advance; presage

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

foreshadower noun

Etymology

Origin of foreshadow

First recorded in 1570–80; fore- + shadow

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In a move that foreshadowed Fern’s future as a feminist firebrand of her time, she contracted a lawyer and found a room for her daughters and herself in the Marlboro Hotel in Boston.

From The Wall Street Journal

So far, neither side is showing signs of backing down, foreshadowing a fight that could take years.

From Salon

Norman, who spent 331 weeks as world No. 1, previously attempted to start a rival golf series in 1994, foreshadowing LIV’s challenge to the golf establishment.

From The Wall Street Journal

Andreessen’s prescient call foreshadowed 15 years of transformation and arguably trillions in value creation.

From Barron's

History tells us that large and rapidly growing debt in major economies often foreshadows a financial crisis.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023