as in charming
likely or intended to win one's affection
the fortune hunter's insinuating attentions were having their intended effect on the naive heiress
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in infiltrating
to introduce in a gradual, secret, or clever way
years were needed for the agent to insinuate himself into the terrorist organization
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in implying
to convey an idea indirectly
are you insinuating that I won by cheating?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in inserting
to put among or between others
quietly insinuated herself among the concertgoers raptly listening to the piano solo
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 insinuating
Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Dec. 2022
The complaint says that since at least early 2021, McKillips had been posting messages insinuating or explicitly threatening to harm the government or federal agents.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 2 Nov. 2022
But Johnson’s pieces were intimate and insinuating, not imposing, rarely much larger than a comic book and easily overlooked.
—Vince Aletti, The New Yorker, 22 July 2022
The only sparks in the evening came from countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo (Dionysus/Dracula), who commanded attention at every appearance with his insinuating, chromatic vocal line and some spectacular costumes by Chrisi Karvonides-Dushenko.
—Heidi Waleson, WSJ, 10 Aug. 2021
The Harptones had Willie Winfield, a tenor vocalist with immaculate pitch and an insinuating way with a phrase, and Raoul Cita, a gifted vocal arranger who made sure the group's voicings were always distinctive.
—Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 3 Aug. 2021
Adjective
In the process, the day-to-day nightmare of Dana’s new reality gets lost, even if the more insinuating discomfort of her present-day reality has been enhanced.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Dec. 2022
The complaint says that since at least early 2021, McKillips had been posting messages insinuating or explicitly threatening to harm the government or federal agents.
—Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 2 Nov. 2022
But Johnson’s pieces were intimate and insinuating, not imposing, rarely much larger than a comic book and easily overlooked.
—Vince Aletti, The New Yorker, 22 July 2022
The only sparks in the evening came from countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo (Dionysus/Dracula), who commanded attention at every appearance with his insinuating, chromatic vocal line and some spectacular costumes by Chrisi Karvonides-Dushenko.
—Heidi Waleson, WSJ, 10 Aug. 2021
The Harptones had Willie Winfield, a tenor vocalist with immaculate pitch and an insinuating way with a phrase, and Raoul Cita, a gifted vocal arranger who made sure the group's voicings were always distinctive.
—Richard Sandomir, New York Times, 3 Aug. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for insinuating
Adjective
-
To-be-weds can exchange vows in one of the islands’ hundreds of charming chapels or on cliffsides with views of the gorgeous blue Mediterranean.—
Shelby Wax,
Vogue,
24 June 2025
-
She was born on February 1, 1971, to a large family and grew up in Guanajuato, whose historic center is a charming former silver mining town with colonial architecture and colorful, blocky houses stacked like Legos on the dramatic hillside.—
Rebecca Grant
June 24,
Literary Hub,
24 June 2025
Verb
-
And law enforcement agencies started surveilling and infiltrating Muslim communities across the United States.—
Abdallah Fayyad,
Vox,
27 Mar. 2025
-
An Army veteran police officer was killed in a shootout during an operational crackdown on transnational drug trafficking organizations infiltrating illicit drugs into the United States, California officials said Wednesday.—
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten,
FOXNews.com,
26 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Analyst Joseph Spak lowered his price target to $51 from $64, implying 11% upside.—
Lisa Kailai Han,
CNBC,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Citi kept its buy rating with a $265 per share price target, implying 46% upside to Friday’s close.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
The sketch recalled Billy Crystal’s annual tradition of starting the Oscars by digitally inserting himself into scenes from the nominees.—
Zack Sharf,
Variety,
13 Mar. 2025
-
After inserting a quarter, simply pull on the tether holding your cart to the cart behind to release yours.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Highly personable and ingratiating but with a tough core, Walters withstood critiques about the softness of her interrogatory style with celebrities and sometimes major political figures as well.—
Carmel Dagan,
Variety,
30 Dec. 2022
-
Smith’s tone was self-conscious and ingratiating—at times, obsequious.—
Sam Adler-Bell,
The New Republic,
7 Mar. 2022
Verb
-
Currently, there is no data indicating the containment progress of the fire and its cause has not yet been determined.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacramento Bee,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Smoke blew around the crater with weak to moderate pressure and firelight was seen at the peak, indicating that the glowing volcanic material was at a shallow depth.—
arkansasonline.com,
arkansasonline.com,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
So, introducing Rays pitchers to an outdoor park with lots of wind gusts might take some getting used to.—
John Romano,
The Orlando Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2025
-
The Last of Us season 1, for example, remained true to the games by introducing prominent LGBTQ+ characters, including Ramsey as Ellie, Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett as Bill and Frank, and Storm Reid as Ellie’s first love, Riley.—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Its most affecting moments reference the AIDS epidemic’s abject cruelty.—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2025
-
This self-examination seems glib (whereas del Toro was actually more affecting as the desperate artist in The French Dispatch).—
Armond White,
National Review,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Insinuating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/insinuating. Accessed 6 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share