variants
or namecheck
or name check
plural name-checks or namechecks or name checks
: a specific and usually public mention or acknowledgment of someone or something by name
It's not surprising that Chekhov gets a namecheck in Marion Bridge, which is playing in a superbly performed production through Aug. 25 at Hudson Village Theatre … . That Chekhov nod comes from boozy, disillusioned actress Agnes (Leni Parker), whose unsuccessful career has included appearing in plays by the Russian master …—
Jim Burke
Jim Burke[Marianne] Williamson began giving her talks in 1983 at the Philosophical Research Society on Los Feliz Boulevard (the nonprofit, which gets a name-check in McWilliam's chapter on the abundant flowering of Southern California occultism, is still in operation).—Julia Wick
Julia Wick
variants
or less commonly namecheck
name-checked also namechecked; name-checking also namechecking; name-checks also namechecks
: to mention or acknowledge (someone or something) specifically and publicly by name
… he is an avid collector of contemporary art, although he alone turns the pursuit to his singular ends in lyrics that knowingly name-check everyone from Jeff Koons to Jean-Michel Basquiat.—Guy Trebay
Guy Trebay"… I couldn't wait that long for another box of Shipley's," he said, name-checking the local doughnut shop that catered the event.—Mara Gay
Mara GayLast year, the show's fans successfully petitioned for McDonald's to bring back its limited-edition Szechuan sauce from 1998 after it was namechecked in an episode.—Luke Morgan Britton
Luke Morgan BrittonExamples of name-check in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Adam L. Rovner, The Conversation, 31 Oct. 2025
Determined to stitch together an integrated HBO Stephen King–verse, Welcome to Derry folds in a young Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk), the Overlook’s telepathic cook from The Shining, and even name-checks Shawshank Prison as part of its expanding mythology.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
Early manager Mike Appel had to twist his arm to speak with Time for a 1975 cover story, and Springsteen generally stayed far away from the partisan political fray, even when President Reagan tried to absorb some of his popularity by name-checking him on the 1984 campaign trail.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
Again, the only alternative that Duffy name-checked was Blue Origin.
—PC Magazine, 21 Oct. 2025
Trump wrote Monday in a Truth Social post, before name-checking the Golden State and slamming its Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom.
—Judy Kurtz, The Hill, 30 Sep. 2025
Chilling Chambers is little more than half-hearted fan service that name-checks every maze in Scary Farm history on a crypt or gravestone.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Centre-back Virgil van Dijk also name-checked his fellow countryman after conceding two goals on the counter-attack in Friday’s opener.
—Gregg Evans, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
But Vuletić says another Hollywood star was initially planned to get name-checked in that scene.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
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Verb
He has been name-checked in hip-hop culture for decades, including by Nicki Minaj and Travis Scott.
—Adam L. Rovner, The Conversation, 31 Oct. 2025
Determined to stitch together an integrated HBO Stephen King–verse, Welcome to Derry folds in a young Dick Hallorann (Chris Chalk), the Overlook’s telepathic cook from The Shining, and even name-checks Shawshank Prison as part of its expanding mythology.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2025
Early manager Mike Appel had to twist his arm to speak with Time for a 1975 cover story, and Springsteen generally stayed far away from the partisan political fray, even when President Reagan tried to absorb some of his popularity by name-checking him on the 1984 campaign trail.
—Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2025
Again, the only alternative that Duffy name-checked was Blue Origin.
—PC Magazine, 21 Oct. 2025
Trump wrote Monday in a Truth Social post, before name-checking the Golden State and slamming its Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom.
—Judy Kurtz, The Hill, 30 Sep. 2025
Chilling Chambers is little more than half-hearted fan service that name-checks every maze in Scary Farm history on a crypt or gravestone.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Centre-back Virgil van Dijk also name-checked his fellow countryman after conceding two goals on the counter-attack in Friday’s opener.
—Gregg Evans, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
But Vuletić says another Hollywood star was initially planned to get name-checked in that scene.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Name-check.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/name-check. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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