anticipate
Usage
What are other ways to say anticipate?
To anticipate is to look forward to an event and even to picture it: Do you anticipate trouble? To expect something implies confidently believing, usually for good reasons, that an event will occur: to expect a visit from a friend. To hope for something implies a wish that an event may take place and an expectation that it will: to hope for the best. To await (wait for) something implies being alert and ready, whether for good or evil: to await news after a cyclone.
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.
Martin said that the government did not anticipate violence.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
North Dakota legislators, who legalized e-tabs in 2017, say they didn’t anticipate the games’ wild success or how closely manufacturers would model them after slot machines.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026
Layoffs can be difficult to anticipate, with pink slips now popping up in a 6 a.m. email.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026
Deutsche Bank said it did not anticipate an "immediate near-term impact" from the Mideast war on volumes, confirming an outlook of 15.8 million sales for this year, down 2.5 percent from last year.
From Barron's • Apr. 1, 2026
I anticipate some footsteps scattering across the floor behind us.
From "I Am the Messenger" by Markus Zusak
