Thesaurus results for ALLUSIVE

allusive

adjective

Definition of allusive

as in referring

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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 Where An Orange Colored Day was gestural and allusive, A Rush to Nowhere is direct. — Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 11 Mar. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for allusive

Recent Examples of Synonyms for allusive

Adjective

Be aware of and report any coyotes exhibiting behavior indicative of rabies, such as staggering, seizures and extreme lethargy.

— Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026
Two false tornado sirens that went off in DuPage County in August were unrelated and the result of two different types of errors, but may be indicative of a larger problem.

— Marie Saavedra, CBS News, 15 Sep. 2026

Definition of indicative

Adjective

Mercury in your sign opposes Chiron in your partnership zone, making close relationships unusually reflective today.

— Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 29 Sep. 2026
Advice still needs to be reflective of the client’s data, commercial objectives, sector conditions and risk appetite.

— Bas Kniphorst, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 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

Curved sofas, rounded tables and expressive lighting are among the older forms being reconsidered for current interiors, along with irregular silhouettes.

— Ashley Lynch, Charlotte Observer, 29 Sep. 2026
Curved sofas, rounded tables, expressive lighting and irregular silhouettes are among the older forms being reconsidered for current interiors, according to Homes & Gardens.

— Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of expressive

Adjective

Because of these characteristic trails, apple maggots are also known as railroad worms (the name is more commonly applied to the larvae and wormlike adult females of Phrixothrix beetles).

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 Sep. 2026
This naturally produces several of the characteristic properties of observed Little Red Dots.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 29 Sep. 2026

Definition of characteristic

Adjective

Their analyses revealed almost 900 genes that were expressed differently in symptomatic and asymptomatic disease.

— Isabella Backman, Hartford Courant, 28 Sep. 2026
Barker described the box office success for Backrooms as symptomatic of a wider shift for the film business.

— Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 26 Sep. 2026

Definition of symptomatic

Adjective

Were tactical arrangements sufficient without symbolic signaling, police training would not need to be so heady, their demeanor so heavy.

— Sophie Landres, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026
Carlson’s essay offers a deeper look at the elaborate symbolic language surrounding 22, A Million, including the meanings behind the album’s unusual song titles and iconography.

— SPIN Staff, SPIN, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of symbolic

Browse Nearby Words

allusions

allusive

alluvion

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“Allusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allusive. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of allusive

adjective

Example Sentences

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