1
as in source
something mentioned in a text as providing related and especially supporting information
the author's argument is interesting, but the lack of references makes me wonder if it can be proven
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as in to source
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of reference
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2026
Sultan passed away in 2009, but has become a photographer whom artists of all sorts admire and reference.
—Vanity Fair, 26 Mar. 2026
Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026
Trump did not reference a specific article from the New York Times.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reference
Noun
The album’s title is also a youthful Easter egg, a reference to the road from the singer’s native Liverpool to the Speke shoreline in the region that McCartney grew up in.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 26 Mar. 2026
Sultan passed away in 2009, but has become a photographer whom artists of all sorts admire and reference.
—Vanity Fair, 26 Mar. 2026
Verb
The statement appeared to reference a 2023 video of an altercation between Paul and Dakota Mortensen that was published by TMZ on Thursday.
—Dallas Morning News, 19 Mar. 2026
Trump did not reference a specific article from the New York Times.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reference
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reference
Noun
-
Polls suggest that most people want owners to pay for their own stadiums, but sports teams are desired and beloved, a source not only of entertainment but also of civic pride.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Online personalities a source of division Though widely regarded at the conference as separate from Republicans, the conservative movement is predominantly united, Plano resident Bruce Dunn said.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
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In this regard, Wienerberger’s Denton brickworks is emerging as a flagship project for the UK ceramics sector.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Mar. 2026
-
In some regards, that association is baked into the underlying value of their media rights agreements.—
Jon Wilner,
Mercury News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Hateful incidents against Jewish people were recently documented in southern California and Toronto, while European officials are investigating car burnings in Antwerp and London as antisemitic attacks.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Sofia Giulia Feriani’s 2025 research at the Technical University of Denmark documented exactly this effect—building facades acting as acoustic mirrors, amplifying sound at certain spots.—
Yook JiHun,
Popular Science,
26 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Offer clear feedback to a collaborator in private, so mutual respect strengthens and the path forward becomes simpler for both of you.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
30 Mar. 2026
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In that respect, the Kings took one of their best losses of the season Sunday, falling 116-99 to the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center in the fourth game of a five-game road trip.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Reference.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reference. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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