Thesaurus results for ALLUSIVE

allusive

adjective

Definition of allusive

as in referring

Related Words

Relevance

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

Officials do not yet know how many of the homes destroyed by the Aspen Acres fire were uninsured, but the Griggs family’s story is indicative of the struggles Coloradans face in buying coverage for their properties.

— Noelle Phillips, Denver Post, 16 Aug. 2026
Decart’s ability to use AI to modify live video feeds instantly is indicative of high-quality infrastructure talent, one of the people said.

— Lynn Doan, Fortune, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of indicative

Adjective

The collector uses reflective elements to direct sunlight toward an absorber panel, where the energy is trapped and transferred to a medium such as air or water.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 21 Aug. 2026
The first feels rooted in youth, summer, romance and memory; after the switch, the music becomes more reflective, solitary and unsettled.

— Desjah Altvater, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of reflective

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

Definition of denotative

Adjective

The groups found that many of the users dubbed orcas often showed telltale signs of insider trading and identified 152 such accounts betting on military and geopolitical events.

— Claire Carter, The Washington Examiner, 21 Aug. 2026
The suspicious em dash—and the easily disprovable notion that only AI used them—was offered as a telltale sign.

— M. C. Mah, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of telltale

Adjective

Perhaps this is why so much contemporary design feels more bloviating than expressive, as though visual volume now matters more than beauty.

— Debbie Millman, Time, 18 Aug. 2026
Her dark, expressive eyebrows and the deep timbre of her voice stand in entertaining contrast to the bounding energy of her husband, who is urgently sociable.

— Gaby Wood, Vogue, 17 Aug. 2026

Definition of expressive

Adjective

Schwab's ambitions past trading are already on the record, delivered in Wurster's characteristic key of unhurried inevitability.

— Zennon Kapron, Forbes.com, 13 Aug. 2026
Notable among the findings is a road at least ¾ of a mile long with features, including a zigzagging route, characteristic of Inca construction.

— Anne Doran, ARTnews.com, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of characteristic

Adjective

Important uncertainties remain, as much of the evidence is preliminary and Ervebo may offer greater protection against death than against symptomatic disease or transmission.

— Krutika Kuppalli, STAT, 10 Aug. 2026
Kisunla is designed to help slow the progression of early symptomatic Alzheimer's by targeting the brain to break up and remove amyloid plaques, which are a hallmark of the disease.

— Lauren Pastrana, CBS News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of symptomatic

Adjective

Once a name is tied to an address, the gap between symbolic hostility and a physical approach narrows, pulling family members, staff and neighbours into the exposure too.

— Control Risks, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
The film’s observational intensity yields a form of symbolic realism that highlights both the action and its import—both the drama and the ideas and systems that undergird it.

— Richard Brody, New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of symbolic

Browse Nearby Words

allusions

allusive

alluvion

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Allusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allusive. Accessed 22 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of allusive

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on allusive

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

august

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes