as in reference
a statement that refers to something without mentioning it directly
The lyrics contain biblical allusions.
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Examples of allusion in a Sentence
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These bulged with oversize references to conventions of pictorial representation—big three-dimensional chunks of metal adorned unnecessarily with shading, cross-hatching, and allusions to perspectival depth.
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Sarah K. Rich, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2024
But the album is raw and spare, dominated by guitars and drums — ripe for some White Stripes allusions — with the occasional organ and vocal effect the most to stray outside those lines.
—Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 20 July 2024
The song's most revealing lyric is in the chorus, when John begs to help him get his feet back on the ground, no doubt an allusion to the band's massive fame.
—and Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 13 Aug. 2024
The defense countered with allusions to unproven conspiracy theories and suggested that Peters merely performed her duties as clerk to preserve election records.
—John Frank, Axios, 12 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for allusion 
Sarah K. Rich, Artforum, 1 Sep. 2024
But the album is raw and spare, dominated by guitars and drums — ripe for some White Stripes allusions — with the occasional organ and vocal effect the most to stray outside those lines.
—Brian McCollum, Detroit Free Press, 20 July 2024
The song's most revealing lyric is in the chorus, when John begs to help him get his feet back on the ground, no doubt an allusion to the band's massive fame.
—and Kevin Jacobsen, EW.com, 13 Aug. 2024
The defense countered with allusions to unproven conspiracy theories and suggested that Peters merely performed her duties as clerk to preserve election records.
—John Frank, Axios, 12 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for allusion
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'allusion.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Allusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allusion. Accessed 15 Oct. 2024.
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