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intimate

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noun

intimate

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word intimate distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of intimate are hint, imply, insinuate, and suggest. While all these words mean "to convey an idea indirectly," intimate stresses delicacy of suggestion without connoting any lack of candor.

intimates that there is more to the situation than meets the eye

In what contexts can hint take the place of intimate?

The meanings of hint and intimate largely overlap; however, hint implies the use of slight or remote suggestion with a minimum of overt statement.

hinted that she might get the job

How are the words imply and suggest related as synonyms of intimate?

Imply is close to suggest but may indicate a more definite or logical relation of the unexpressed idea to the expressed.

measures implying that bankruptcy was imminent

When would insinuate be a good substitute for intimate?

The words insinuate and intimate can be used in similar contexts, but insinuate applies to the conveying of a usually unpleasant idea in a sly underhanded manner.

insinuated that there were shady dealings

When could suggest be used to replace intimate?

The synonyms suggest and intimate are sometimes interchangeable, but suggest may stress putting into the mind by association of ideas, awakening of a desire, or initiating a train of thought.

a film title that suggests its subject matter

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 intimate
Adjective
Visually, the film plays as a thriller but with the restraint of a drama given the many intimate moments. Callum McLennan, Variety, 24 Oct. 2025 The intimate ceremony took place in the famed building's Bard Room among 100 guests, according to Vogue. Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 24 Oct. 2025
Noun
Tons of Spanx shapewear and intimates are on sale, including this wireless bra that offers full coverage, compression, and barely-there straps. Nicol Natale, PEOPLE, 12 Sep. 2025 Free People is our go-to for casually cool, bohemian style—a vibe that extends to its collection of intimates. Malia Griggs, Glamour, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
Maye, of course, cannot win alone, something Vrabel intimated post-game. Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 8 Sep. 2025 However, commissioner Roger Goodell intimated this spring that the league could tighten its cap rules when the next collective bargaining agreement comes around in 2031. Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for intimate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intimate
Adjective
  • Even as American political polarization has intensified over the last eight years, both Republicans and Democrats have agreed that an increasingly powerful Beijing poses an economic, technological, and security threat to Washington and its close allies.
    Mira Rapp-Hooper, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025
  • On the series, JD and Michelle have grown closer, but in real life, Todd is married to Jordan Wilcox Lasance.
    Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • All calls are toll-free and confidential.
    Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Your child can handle the responsibility of keeping personal information confidential.
    Melissa Willets, Parents, 30 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • Got friends coming over for the game this weekend and there's so much to do?
    Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 30 Oct. 2025
  • In February, Pearce was convicted of fatally drugging model Christy Giles and her friend Hilda Marcela Cabrales-Arzola with fentanyl after a party in November 2021.
    Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The two companies remain in talks, although neither company indicated when customers can expect programming to resume.
    Liam Reilly, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
  • Whenever the data clearly indicates that one alternative is superior to all the others — but never before that point — a scientific revolution is likely to follow.
    Big Think, Big Think, 30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Here, Hunter returns to a familiar figure in Stock’s Ethan, a writer who made it out of small-town Idaho for college and then a life in Seattle, but whose career is flagging and bank account is running dry.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2025
  • But those who’ve watched the Blackhawks on a nightly basis know Spencer Knight has been masking some familiar defensive deficiencies.
    Mark Lazerus, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • In Thursday’s indictment, federal investigators accused Rozier and other defendants of breaking the law by exploiting private information about players to win bets on NBA games.
    Preston Fore, Fortune, 25 Oct. 2025
  • Critics have also raised concerns about the use of private donors, suggesting there could be a conflict of interest at play.
    Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 25 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • The mayor is immediately arrested, along with his billionaire buddies.
    Allison DeGrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2025
  • Lena Waithe is channeling her complicated history with Issa Rae into a buddy comedy for the two of them to star.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 25 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • Futures and prediction markets imply that by early 2026 the policy rate lands modestly lower than today but not back to the zero-rate world.
    Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Confederate statues should be placed in museums as historical artifacts, not remain in parks or other locations that imply honor.
    NPR, NPR, 28 Oct. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Intimate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intimate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.

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