SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
allude
verb
To refer to something indirectly without naming or explaining it fully.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Refer indirectly
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topHint and intimate often take at or a clause; allude normally takes to.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See allude in use
The author would often allude to an earlier scene.
One member began to construe Noor's question as an attempt to delay the opening, although she had only requested a clear date. Another said her message seemed to allude to a previous dispute over borrowed chairs without naming it.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license