allusive

Definition of allusivenext

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 allusive Yarvin tends to extreme digression, while Land speaks with the allusive compression of a guru. James Duesterberg, New Yorker, 18 Feb. 2026 David Bowie, charming in interviews, and leaning toward the abstract and allusive in his lyrics, was not given to weighing in on news events. Alexander Larman, Washington Post, 8 Jan. 2026 At times sparse and allusive, Moon’s poems use blank space and other stylistic considerations to convey a voice and thought that ranges from the contemplative to the surreal and absurd. Literary Hub, 10 Nov. 2025 The Lady From the Sea, one of Ibsen’s most mysterious and allusive plays, centers on the figure of Ellida, a lighthouse keeper’s daughter with a maritime obsession. Sarah Crompton, Vogue, 19 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for allusive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allusive
Adjective
  • But the focus on the anchor-outs’ relatively modest contribution to bay pollution is indicative of a broader tendency, by no means unique to Marin County, to blame homeless people for everything that goes wrong.
    Maggie McGowan, The New York Review of Books, 5 Sep. 2026
  • This is indicative of not only how the company is providing a service that many across the country need, but also how Vita Bella’s team is working tirelessly to go above and beyond for patients and users.
    William Jones, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Anti-reflective coatings can also be incorporated where required.
    Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Leaders must mediate the conversation and create an environment of true collaboration that allows for active discussion, where people are allowed to disagree in order to develop an answer based on that and reflective of the conversation.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Semantic bleaching is another linguistic process whereby the denotative content of a word is stripped away.
    Brandon Tensley, CNN, 10 July 2022
  • The paragon of such an attempt is something like Jia Tolentino’s Trick Mirror, a work that stands as a denotative record of the social media shift, yet still falls to the same difficulties that characterize other cultural criticism of this type.
    SPIN, SPIN, 8 Feb. 2022
Adjective
  • Some deepfakes still have telltale flaws such as unnatural facial movements, lip-sync glitches, robotic speech or awkward pauses — but the technology is rapidly improving, a spokesperson for the organization said.
    Emily Elconin for CNN, CNN Money, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Considering that the vast majority of great films did some additional photography, ranging from extensive to minor, why are reshoots now a telltale sign of a looming disaster?
    Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 31 Aug. 2026
Adjective
  • Wasn’t there always something fake about that expressive purity of hers?
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • There is no doubt the quality of players that managers have available plays a massive part in how expressive their style becomes but as ideas go, Luis Enrique’s use of his wide players last season definitely set PSG apart.
    Art de Roché, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Since industrial logging began more than a century ago, most of Vancouver Island’s productive old-growth forests — those capable of growing the large trees characteristic of the island’s rainforests — have been cut.
    Annika Hammerschlag, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Different chemical elements absorb and emit different wavelengths of light, marking that spectrum with different characteristic fingerprints.
    Rahul Rao, Space.com, 14 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • That felt symptomatic of their poor decision-making in attacking positions.
    Stuart James, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Remember to collect tissue that is just beginning to appear symptomatic, as the lab is unable to diagnose plants that are already dead.
    Emily Leahy, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Kardashian isn’t the first high-profile star in recent history to ask a court for a symbolic payout.
    Emily St. Martin, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
  • The vote ended in a 220 to 204 tally, marking a symbolic rebuke of the president over the largely unpopular war.
    Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Allusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allusive. Accessed 20 Sep. 2026.

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