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
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
The film is not pretentious about its literary allusions though.
—Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
Not just the bookish scavenger hunt, but also the culture of people speaking and thinking in literary allusions and textual analysis.
—Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
Following her announcement of her 12th studio album, Taylor Swift released the album's tracklist and cover, both of which exhibit allusions to some of the Bard's most notable works.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 14 Aug. 2025
There are lyrical allusions to morphine and a pretty, romantic melody.
—Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2025
In fact, the debate over the American constitution prompted many of the Founding Fathers to write under false names — many of them obvious allusions to the Roman Republic or ancient philosophy.
—Scotty Hendricks, Big Think, 18 Feb. 2025
The text is stuffed with allusions to high street brands such as Manolo Blahnik, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade, Barneys, and more.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 8 Jan. 2025
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
The film is not pretentious about its literary allusions though.
—Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025
Not just the bookish scavenger hunt, but also the culture of people speaking and thinking in literary allusions and textual analysis.
—Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2025
Following her announcement of her 12th studio album, Taylor Swift released the album's tracklist and cover, both of which exhibit allusions to some of the Bard's most notable works.
—Rachel Raposas, People.com, 14 Aug. 2025
There are lyrical allusions to morphine and a pretty, romantic melody.
—Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2025
In fact, the debate over the American constitution prompted many of the Founding Fathers to write under false names — many of them obvious allusions to the Roman Republic or ancient philosophy.
—Scotty Hendricks, Big Think, 18 Feb. 2025
The text is stuffed with allusions to high street brands such as Manolo Blahnik, Louis Vuitton, Kate Spade, Barneys, and more.
—H.m.a. Leow, JSTOR Daily, 8 Jan. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allusions
Noun
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Johnson Hartig, the brand's CEO and Creative Director, whose whimsical graphics, collage-effect embellishments, and historical references are core to the brand ethos, also met the moment in today's fraught political and cultural environment with his show.—
Roxanne Robinson,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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This story references profanity and may be offensive to some readers.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
Noun
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In fact, when safeguards fail or people use them without fully understanding the implications, very sensitive and potentially damaging information could be exposed.—
Bernard Marr,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
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The ban also had significant implications for education.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Allusions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allusions. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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