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
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
But there were, nonetheless, plenty of fringes, beaded embellishments and allusions to the jazz age on the red carpet at LA’s Shrine Auditorium.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
Do the allusions and shout-outs to current events and personalities seem a little too close for comfort?
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
And posts with allusions to extremism have popped up on occasion in individual department or agency feeds, especially at DHS, which oversees both Customs and Border Protection and ICE.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
What might have been just an engaging children’s story becomes also a set of hints, allusions, and glimpses, the early experiences of learning about a larger world.
—Literary Hub, 23 Dec. 2025
The finale also makes some allusions to things to come.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 15 Dec. 2025
Take note of the clever literary allusions and wordplay that might have gone over your head back in elementary school.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 7 Dec. 2025
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
But there were, nonetheless, plenty of fringes, beaded embellishments and allusions to the jazz age on the red carpet at LA’s Shrine Auditorium.
—Oscar Holland, CNN Money, 1 Mar. 2026
Do the allusions and shout-outs to current events and personalities seem a little too close for comfort?
—Los Angeles Times, 30 Jan. 2026
And posts with allusions to extremism have popped up on occasion in individual department or agency feeds, especially at DHS, which oversees both Customs and Border Protection and ICE.
—Ali Breland, The Atlantic, 21 Jan. 2026
What might have been just an engaging children’s story becomes also a set of hints, allusions, and glimpses, the early experiences of learning about a larger world.
—Literary Hub, 23 Dec. 2025
The finale also makes some allusions to things to come.
—Andrew McGowan, Variety, 15 Dec. 2025
Take note of the clever literary allusions and wordplay that might have gone over your head back in elementary school.
—Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 7 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allusions
Noun
-
The feud made its way into Lamar's halftime show set with numerous sly references to Drake, including guest appearances from the rapper's exes SZA and Serena Williams.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
24 Mar. 2026
-
The Charlotte native has appeared at local high schools and put Queen City references into his music videos.—
Simone Jasper
March 24,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
How the game is aired will have implications for the way audiences perceive the sport.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
27 Mar. 2026
-
If the pair pull it off, the implications could be massive, revealing AI’s potential to convincingly resurrect and reinvent our cinematic history — a potential that before the tech had remained firmly theoretical.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Allusions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allusions. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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