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
Repression, self-harm, substance abuse, bullying, jealousy, emotional abuse, and even allusions to grooming, among other terrors of the fog, keep the tensions high from start to finish.
—
Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
Those messages included a mix of memes and allusions to video games.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 15 Sep. 2025
The messages on the bullet casings also included a mix of memes and allusions to video games.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
While some allusions only indicate the time, others go into mythology.
—Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for allusion
Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
Those messages included a mix of memes and allusions to video games.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 15 Sep. 2025
The messages on the bullet casings also included a mix of memes and allusions to video games.
—Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2025
While some allusions only indicate the time, others go into mythology.
—Connie Etemadi, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for allusion
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allusion
Noun
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Putting aside the visceral appeal of the reference to insider trading, are these allegations actually comparable to criminal insider trading in the securities regime?—
Samidh Guha,
ABC News,
9 Nov. 2025
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The lettering was seen by many as an intentional reference to old-school Bollywood posters — a subtle nod to Mamdani’s Indian heritage.—
Philip Marcelo,
Fortune,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
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The implication was that there could be an easily accessible, off-the-shelf shot capable of stimulating the immune system to fight cancer.—
Lisa Jarvis,
Twin Cities,
8 Nov. 2025
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The effort had long-term implications for the future.—
Paige Reddinger,
Robb Report,
8 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Allusion.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allusion. Accessed 14 Nov. 2025.
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