allusions

plural of allusion

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of allusions Her lyrics, like those of many of her biggest musical influences, are dense texts, full of winking allusions and subtle references to records, bands, and albums that have shaped her own songwriting. Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 14 Aug. 2026 Deramas also justifies all the cinematic allusions on the story level, establishing the characters as devoted cinephiles who are particularly acquainted with Philippine cinema. Lé Baltar, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2026 Rather, their time-switching variety and tone-shifting allusions suggest a trip through subjectivity—through Sterling’s inner life and through the collective memory of the town. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 11 Aug. 2026 Ari Aster’s most polarizing film to date features allusions to both the Odyssey and another film influenced by Homer’s epic, The Wizard of Oz (1939). Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 18 July 2026 Much of that album, plus many of the other older songs Dylan performed Monday, makes allusions to classical antiquity, literature and religion to tackle themes of redemption and divine judgment. Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 7 July 2026 Come for the sisterhood, stay for allusions to William Faulkner and Donna Tartt. Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026 Even more than usual, critics and Dylanologists scrutinized Modern Times for references and allusions, finding words and melodies paraphrased from the works of Muddy Waters, Bing Crosby, and the Roman poet Ovid. Al Shipley, SPIN, 29 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allusions
Noun
  • We’re inspired by cinema, fashion, architecture and Spanish iconography, so naturally those references become part of our shows.
    Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Her references seem specific to Macon, the Marlboro Man who lives in a ranch-style fortress.
    Ben Travers, IndieWire, 23 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • There’s surprisingly little ring-slinging in episode two, but the implications of John, a novice Lantern, both creating an apparently sentient construct and controlling it without the ring in his possession are pretty enormous for DC’s mythology.
    Siddhant Adlakha, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026
  • In 2026, shoppers are getting ultra-specific with their secondhand marketplace searches, a shift that has wider implications for the resale industry.
    Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 24 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Allusions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allusions. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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