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
And even in a film telling a universal story, some cultural allusions speak most strongly to the home audience.
—
Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2025
The allusions to Mexican culture appear to be designed to highlight the Republican claims that Democrats are demanding federal benefits for migrants without legal status as a condition to winning their support on a budget bill — a charge the Democrats deny.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 30 Sep. 2025
Repression, self-harm, substance abuse, bullying, jealousy, emotional abuse, and even allusions to grooming, among other terrors of the fog, keep the tensions high from start to finish.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
Those messages included a mix of memes and allusions to video games.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 15 Sep. 2025
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
Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2025
The allusions to Mexican culture appear to be designed to highlight the Republican claims that Democrats are demanding federal benefits for migrants without legal status as a condition to winning their support on a budget bill — a charge the Democrats deny.
—Mike Lillis, The Hill, 30 Sep. 2025
Repression, self-harm, substance abuse, bullying, jealousy, emotional abuse, and even allusions to grooming, among other terrors of the fog, keep the tensions high from start to finish.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
Those messages included a mix of memes and allusions to video games.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 15 Sep. 2025
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allusions
Noun
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There were also historical references to people from the African continent known to be part of society at the time.—
Duncan Sayer,
JSTOR Daily,
2 Oct. 2025
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Again, there are references to USA Basketball and calls for a Jerry Colangelo-type, someone to establish a clear hierarchy and be singularly focused on the Cup.—
Hugh Kellenberger,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The first matchup with College Football Playoff implications at stake for both teams.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
4 Oct. 2025
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Trump’s approval rating will have key implications for the New Jersey and Virginia gubernatorial races this year, where Democrats have sought to tie Republican candidates to Trump as his approval has dwindled, as well as the 2026 midterms.—
Andrew Stanton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Allusions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allusions. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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