refer to
phrasal verb
referred to; referring to; refers to
1
: to look at or in (something) for information
She often refers to her notes when giving a speech.
Please refer to our website for more information.
2
: to have a direct connection or relationship to (something)
The word "finch" refers to a kind of bird.
The numbers shown in the text refer to footnotes at the bottom of the page.
3
: to talk about or write about (someone or something) especially briefly : to mention (someone or something) in speech or in writing
No one referred to the incident.
Examples of refer to in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Kallie said through Clark, referring to their other two children.
—
Christina Coulter, Fox News, 23 May 2024
Commander Michael McGinnis said Cole’s comment was referring to a recent vacation the protester took to Mexico.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 23 May 2024
Benevolent associations and mutual aid societies, sometimes referred to as secret societies, had a long history in many antebellum Southern cities.
—Faron Levesque, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2024
The statement referred to the alleged victim only as K.K., but he was identified by WLWT, WCPO and the Cincinnati Enquirer.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 22 May 2024
Reich refers to a German empire and is associated with Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich under Nazi Germany.
—Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 21 May 2024
Police had been notified at the home about harassing and threatening behaviors, which were referred to detectives at the time, Hernandez said.
—Coleby Phillips, The Arizona Republic, 21 May 2024
Hylton also referred to two of the younger daughters in one of the photos, Combs’ 18-year-old twins with model Kim Porter, who died of pneumonia in 2018.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 21 May 2024
Throughout the video, the newspaper backgrounds appear to have been cobbled together from World War I-era news, referring to events and dates from that time period.
—Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR, 21 May 2024
Christina Coulter, Fox News, 23 May 2024
Commander Michael McGinnis said Cole’s comment was referring to a recent vacation the protester took to Mexico.
—Jennifer Rodriguez, Kansas City Star, 23 May 2024
Benevolent associations and mutual aid societies, sometimes referred to as secret societies, had a long history in many antebellum Southern cities.
—Faron Levesque, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 May 2024
The statement referred to the alleged victim only as K.K., but he was identified by WLWT, WCPO and the Cincinnati Enquirer.
—Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 22 May 2024
Reich refers to a German empire and is associated with Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich under Nazi Germany.
—Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY, 21 May 2024
Police had been notified at the home about harassing and threatening behaviors, which were referred to detectives at the time, Hernandez said.
—Coleby Phillips, The Arizona Republic, 21 May 2024
Hylton also referred to two of the younger daughters in one of the photos, Combs’ 18-year-old twins with model Kim Porter, who died of pneumonia in 2018.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 21 May 2024
Throughout the video, the newspaper backgrounds appear to have been cobbled together from World War I-era news, referring to events and dates from that time period.
—Danielle Kurtzleben, NPR, 21 May 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'refer to.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near refer to
Cite this Entry
“Refer to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/refer%20to. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share