as in reference
a statement that refers to something without mentioning it directly
The lyrics contain biblical allusions.
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Recent Examples of allusion
While some allusions only indicate the time, others go into mythology.
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Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
The film is not pretentious about its literary allusions though.
—Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
Not just the bookish scavenger hunt, but also the culture of people speaking and thinking in literary allusions and textual analysis.
—Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
Following her announcement of her 12th studio album, Taylor Swift released the album's tracklist and cover, both of which exhibit allusions to some of the Bard's most notable works.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for allusion
Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
The film is not pretentious about its literary allusions though.
—Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
Not just the bookish scavenger hunt, but also the culture of people speaking and thinking in literary allusions and textual analysis.
—Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
Following her announcement of her 12th studio album, Taylor Swift released the album's tracklist and cover, both of which exhibit allusions to some of the Bard's most notable works.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 14 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for allusion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allusion
Noun
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However, in July, the same DeepSwap page had no mention of Mindspark, and references to Ireland instead said Hong Kong.—
Jonathan Vanian,
CNBC,
28 Sep. 2025
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In the days preceding this matchup, Donald made several mind-game references to money and how Europe didn’t need any to get motivated for the Ryder Cup.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
28 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The first matchup with College Football Playoff implications at stake for both teams.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
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There’s a sadness to her uncertainty, this implication that her eventual return will in some way be conditional.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
4 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Allusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allusion. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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