as in referring
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Recent Examples of allusive
Image Image Hovsepian, who was born in Isfahan, Iran, and grew up in Toledo, Ohio, makes allusive, shadowy photographs and assemblages that are in the permanent collections of New York’s Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago.
—
Max Berlinger Stefan Ruiz, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2024
Some are allusive, like the way Sang-won has acquired Ui-ju’s habit of spicing up instant ramen with chilli paste.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 11 Oct. 2023
Ray Johnson, a master of the collage, made work that was cryptic, obsessive, and densely allusive.
—Vince Aletti, The New Yorker, 22 July 2022
Their plots were complex, nested, allusive, the sort of TV that demanded activity and attention rather than passivity.
—Phillip MacIak, The New Republic, 24 Aug. 2023
See All Example Sentences for allusive
Max Berlinger Stefan Ruiz, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2024
Some are allusive, like the way Sang-won has acquired Ui-ju’s habit of spicing up instant ramen with chilli paste.
—Jessica Kiang, Variety, 11 Oct. 2023
Ray Johnson, a master of the collage, made work that was cryptic, obsessive, and densely allusive.
—Vince Aletti, The New Yorker, 22 July 2022
Their plots were complex, nested, allusive, the sort of TV that demanded activity and attention rather than passivity.
—Phillip MacIak, The New Republic, 24 Aug. 2023
See All Example Sentences for allusive
Recent Examples of Synonyms for allusive
Adjective
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Kelly Pedersen, partner and global retail leader at PwC, said the fact that 40 percent of parents will cut their spending on apparel and shoes is indicative of consumer sentiment at large.—
Meghan Hall,
Sourcing Journal,
24 June 2025
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The narrow-body plane, typically flown on shorter U.S. domestic routes, is indicative of the airline’s broader strategy of finding cost-efficient ways to connect cities across the Atlantic that have less passenger demand.—
Chris Dong,
AFAR Media,
23 June 2025
Adjective
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This kind of behavior isn’t reflective of Sox fans or the city.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
25 June 2025
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Xi was tougher than most, but his behavior was still reflective of the context of the times.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
Adjective
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Semantic bleaching is another linguistic process whereby the denotative content of a word is stripped away.—
Brandon Tensley,
CNN,
10 July 2022
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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
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Lyles, an average build for a sprinter at 5ft 11in (180cm), is loud and expressive.—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
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When transiting the bold and expressive sign of Leo, the messenger planet takes on a more theatrical flair.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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At present, Greenland’s population is expected to fall below 50,000 by 2050, mostly due to outward migration and the low birth rates characteristic of most Western countries.—
Morten Høi Jensen,
The Dial,
19 June 2025
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The capsule continues to foreground the use of regionally characteristic materials such as jade, cinnabar, porcelain, and Asian cultural symbols like 玄武 (the Black Tortoise) and 青龙 (the Azure Dragon).—
Gemma A. Williams,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2025
Adjective
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The track, a pure uptempo pop tune more symptomatic of the '80s dance craze, is now a karaoke staple, playing in grocery store aisles and at Bat Mitzvahs, a commercial winfall and a critical shortcoming for a band more focused on the post-punk scene.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
13 June 2025
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There are symptomatic fixes, sure—limiting caffeine and alcohol, the use of masking sounds—but there is no cure.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
Adjective
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For the first time since the 1980s, the Islamic Republic faced a direct military assault from another regional power that targeted not only its military assets, but the symbolic and political heart of the regime itself.—
Sanam Vakil,
Time,
26 June 2025
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The move was also a symbolic end to an intense battle between Shawe and his former fiancée, cofounder and business partner of more than 25 years, Liz Elting.—
Phoebe Liu,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Allusive.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/allusive. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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