crystal ball

NOUN

fortune teller's globe or ability

Synonyms

WEAK

clairvoyance divination envisagement forward look prediction prevenience

VERB

predict

Synonyms

STRONG

augur divine forecast foreknow foresee foretell portend predict prognosticate prophesy vaticinate

WEAK

anticipate conjecture

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.

History isn’t a crystal ball, but certain historical moments become magnifying glasses, highlighting truths today’s political passions obscure.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 31, 2026

"Without a crystal ball nobody can know what is going to happen" to producers' and farmers' costs at the moment these contracts are signed.

From BBC • May 24, 2026

“We don’t have a crystal ball, because we’re still at war,” he said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

“If I had a crystal ball I could tell you now what is going to happen,” Heimo Schirgi, the World Cup chief operating officer for FIFA, said Monday.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

He folded his hands and pleaded in a little girl’s voice: “‘Old Timothy, please, look in your crystal ball and tell me: How will it all turn out?’

From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood