as in alluding
Related Words
Relevance
as in relating
to have a relation or connection
I don't think that rule of play refers to this particular situation
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 referring
Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
Andreatta, Brown and Joiner each declined comment on the case’s latest developments, referring a reporter instead to Doug White, acting as the city’s interim city attorney.
—Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026
The White House declined to comment, referring questions to Trump’s legal team.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2026
The board won't make a final decision on referring the MLO to voters until August.
—Olivia Young, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
The company has put in place systems to screen users’ interactions with Gemini for signs of mental health crises, which will result in the chatbot referring the users to crisis hotlines.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
The owner paid beneficiaries and marketers for referring purported hospice patients to her company.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
While existing law prevents health care providers from providing gender affirming procedures for minors, the bill would bar them from performing, attempting to perform, or referring a minor for this care.
—Emma Murphy, Oklahoma Voice, 31 Mar. 2026
The Seminole sheriff’s office declined an interview request, referring any questions to ICE.
—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
Mamdani’s spokesperson declined to comment, referring the Daily News to a rep for the city’s public schools.
—Cayla Bamberger, New York Daily News, 16 Apr. 2026
Andreatta, Brown and Joiner each declined comment on the case’s latest developments, referring a reporter instead to Doug White, acting as the city’s interim city attorney.
—Theresa Clift, Sacbee.com, 16 Apr. 2026
The White House declined to comment, referring questions to Trump’s legal team.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 13 Apr. 2026
The board won't make a final decision on referring the MLO to voters until August.
—Olivia Young, CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
The company has put in place systems to screen users’ interactions with Gemini for signs of mental health crises, which will result in the chatbot referring the users to crisis hotlines.
—Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 7 Apr. 2026
The owner paid beneficiaries and marketers for referring purported hospice patients to her company.
—ABC News, 2 Apr. 2026
While existing law prevents health care providers from providing gender affirming procedures for minors, the bill would bar them from performing, attempting to perform, or referring a minor for this care.
—Emma Murphy, Oklahoma Voice, 31 Mar. 2026
The Seminole sheriff’s office declined an interview request, referring any questions to ICE.
—Cristóbal Reyes, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for referring
Verb
-
Some of them are old systems of knowledge, ways of relating the body to fertility, death, and survival.—
George Nelson,
ARTnews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The Pisces new moon creates opportunities for fulfillment through relating.—
USA TODAY,
USA Today,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Any prices or levels shown are either historical or purely indicative.—
Katie Stockton,
CNBC,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The crowd, estimated by a Cal official at about 6,000, was at least three times what the event drew a year ago, indicative of the momentum the program has developed since Lupoi returned to his alma mater in December.—
Jeff Faraudo,
Mercury News,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In 2024, SpaceX filed a federal lawsuit arguing the NLRB's structure violated the Constitution and that the agency should not be allowed to take enforcement action pertaining to worker complaints of unfair treatment by employers.—
Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Details pertaining to the suspect or their vehicle are yet to be released.—
Madison E. Goldberg,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The dense, allusive text foretold the future of his small business and tens of thousands like it.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Where An Orange Colored Day was gestural and allusive, A Rush to Nowhere is direct.—
Stephen Kearse,
Pitchfork,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The review process is expected to take 18 months and is part of a two-step process, which also includes applying for an operating license.—
Pippa Stevens,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Girod noted that by applying for relief, Guerra Sandoval was giving the government all her personal information — even fingerprints.—
Ximena Bustillo,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
To trace the solar events that caused these auroras, Miyahara and her colleagues looked for spikes of telltale atomic variations trapped in 13th-century tree rings, using Medieval literature to guide their search.—
Jacek Krywko,
Scientific American,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Stay vigilant by monitoring the sky for ominous signs and listening for the telltale sound of thunder.—
Bay Area Weather Report,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Made of reflective material, this leash assures the safety of both you and your pet when the sun goes down.—
Christina Shepherd McGuire,
PEOPLE,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Kovács, who is more reflective in person than his bulldog persona online, told me that Hungary’s election system is secure.—
Isaac Stanley-Becker,
The Atlantic,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Referring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/referring. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
