Synonyms of allusion

allusion

noun

as in reference

a statement that refers to something without mentioning it directly

The lyrics contain biblical allusions.

Related Words

• reference
• implication
• inference
• clue
• innuendo
• indication
• insinuation
• evidence
• suggestion
• intimation
• mention
• cue
• inkling
• hint
• idea
• lead
• glimpse
• inspiration
• whiff
• scent
• wind
• glimmer
• breath
• sign
• notion
• signal
• token
• assistance
• flicker
• key
• hunch
• pointer
• prompt
• nod
• denotation
• tip
• mark
• overtone
• wink
• telltale
• guidepost
• tip-off

Dissimilar Words

• solution
• answer

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of allusion

There’s a density of literary allusion in the Tragedies of Seneca that isn’t there in the Homeric poems. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 23 June 2026

Millett believed that the visual art work, with its power of nonspecific allusion, could touch something deeper than human thought and rationality. — Rachel Cusk, New Yorker, 13 June 2026

His hours-long speeches, stuffed with classical allusions and thundering with invective, were distributed as pamphlets by the millions. — Rob Wolfe, The Atlantic, 5 June 2026

Ghirri’s essays teem with allusions to art history, and two of the more striking large Polaroids invoked paintings by the artist’s favorite old masters, though the homages inclined less toward reverence than tart irony. — James Quandt, Artforum, 2 June 2026

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