as in references
a statement that refers to something without mentioning it directly
The lyrics contain biblical allusions.
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Recent Examples of allusions
Despite its unnerving intimacy, which suggests either erotic pursuit or familiar proximity, the diminutive print calls to mind the photos of Saul Leiter, a figure surprisingly unmentioned in Ghirri’s essays despite his frequent fond allusions to American street photography.
—
James Quandt, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Wear with just a white bralette or a peasant top, fully tapping into the historical allusions.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 26 May 2026
Hers is likewise a solitary journey, for reasons not explained beyond allusions to tight purse strings in this space colonization project, which is a collaboration between multiple agencies, governments and an unnamed private funder.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026
There is a hyper awareness to TSADACM, a determination to point out each of its Easter eggs and allusions, lest the viewer think Schoenbrun is trying to outsmart anyone.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Meis moves from the Baroque virtuosity of Rubens’s study of a drunken mythological figure, through the jagged modernist puzzle of Marc’s allegorical animals, to Mitchell’s painterly abstractions and their flickering landscape allusions.
—Jed Perl, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Van Beirendonck gravitates toward loud prints in bright colors and allusions to BDSM, whereas Van Saene makes elegant cocktail dresses for women with bow details and shrunken cardigans.
—Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 27 Mar. 2026
Plentiful other allusions suggest the wait may not be too painful; the long breadcrumb trail, sprinkled throughout 2025, gives the impression OR3 is just waiting to burst out of her.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 Mar. 2026
The prose is dotted with allusions to the works of Joseph Conrad, Jorge Luis Borges, and Bob Dylan, to name a few.
—Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
James Quandt, Artforum, 2 June 2026
Wear with just a white bralette or a peasant top, fully tapping into the historical allusions.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 26 May 2026
Hers is likewise a solitary journey, for reasons not explained beyond allusions to tight purse strings in this space colonization project, which is a collaboration between multiple agencies, governments and an unnamed private funder.
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 22 May 2026
There is a hyper awareness to TSADACM, a determination to point out each of its Easter eggs and allusions, lest the viewer think Schoenbrun is trying to outsmart anyone.
—Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 13 May 2026
Meis moves from the Baroque virtuosity of Rubens’s study of a drunken mythological figure, through the jagged modernist puzzle of Marc’s allegorical animals, to Mitchell’s painterly abstractions and their flickering landscape allusions.
—Jed Perl, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026
Van Beirendonck gravitates toward loud prints in bright colors and allusions to BDSM, whereas Van Saene makes elegant cocktail dresses for women with bow details and shrunken cardigans.
—Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 27 Mar. 2026
Plentiful other allusions suggest the wait may not be too painful; the long breadcrumb trail, sprinkled throughout 2025, gives the impression OR3 is just waiting to burst out of her.
—Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 23 Mar. 2026
The prose is dotted with allusions to the works of Joseph Conrad, Jorge Luis Borges, and Bob Dylan, to name a few.
—Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allusions
Noun
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Here, references to bears (in Bruin’s name, Colin’s fur suit, and Doane’s favorite hockey team), the talismanic power of household appliances, and the sunken earth keep recurring.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
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Later works remix art-historical references more subtly but with like-minded abandon.—
Jeremy Lybarger,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
Noun
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The failure of New Glenn also has major implications for NASA and its surging efforts to return humans to the Moon before the end of this decade and to establish a lunar base on the surface.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
29 May 2026
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Pope Leo's statement is one of many debates being had in religious circles about the implications of AI and how parishioners should or should not engage with the rapidly growing technology.—
Greta Cross,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Allusions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allusions. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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